## 2 Experimental Section
### Instrumentation and Synthesis
#### 2.2.6 1-Trifluoromethyl-4-(Nitroprop-1-Enyl)Benzene **13**  
This compound was synthesized [25] using 4-trifluoromethylbenzamidedehyde (1 g, 5.7 mmol) and ammonium acetate (0.38 g, 5.0 mmol) dissolved in nitroethane (20 mL, 280 mmol), heated to 100 \({}^{\circ}\)C and refluxed overnight. The excess nitroethane was removed under high vacuum and the yellow mixture was poured into water (20 mL) and extracted with ethyl acetate (3 \(\times\) 20 mL). The combined organic extracts were washed with water (3 \(\times\) 20 mL) and sodium chloride solution (25%, 20 mL) and then dried over anhydrous MgSO\({}_{4}\). The solvent was removed under high vacuum (enhanced with liquid nitrogen) to yield a yellow solid (1.16 g, 87% yield). The material was purified by washing with cold ethanol (95%) to yield **13** (0.748g, 42%), a yellow solid which had a melting point of 96-98 \({}^{\circ}\)C. \({}^{1}\)H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)): \(\delta_{\rm H}\) (ppm) 8.02 (s, 1H, C=C-H), 7.65 (d, \(J\) = 8.3 Hz, 2H, Ar-H), 7.46 (d, \(J\) = 8.2 Hz, 2H, Ar-H), 2.37 (s, 3H, C-H, \(E\)), 1.59 (s, 3H, C-H, \(Z\)). \({}^{13}\)C NMR (300 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)) \(\delta_{\rm C}\) (ppm): 148.9 (s, C=C, \(\beta\) carbon), 135.6 (Ar), 132.6 (s, C=C, \(\alpha\) carbon), 131.4 (s, Ar-C-CF\({}_{3}\)), 129.8 (Ar), 128.5 (Ar), 123.7 (q. \(J\) = 273.6 Hz, CF\({}_{3}\)), 13.6 (CH\({}_{3}\)). GC/MS \(m\)/z (M\({}^{+}\)) 231. The product [25] was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel with hexane/ethyl acetate (20/1) to obtain a yellow liquid 46% yield. \({}^{1}\)H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)): \(\delta_{\rm H}\) (ppm) 8.16 (s, 1H, C=C-H), 7.69-7.67 (d, \(J=7.80\) Hz, 1H, Ar-H, _trans_-compound), 7.61-7.53 (m, multiplets, overlapping of the _cis_ and _trans_-compounds, 1H, Ar-H), 7.48-7.42 (m, 1H, Ar-H), 7.39-7.34 (t, \(J=6.60\) Hz, \(Z\)-conformer, 1H, Ar-H), 7.28-7.26 (d, \(J=7.50\) Hz, \(Z\)-conformer, 1H, Ar-H), 7.17-7.15 (d, \(J=6.30\) Hz, \(E\)-conformer, 1H, Ar-H), 2.31 (s, \(E\)-isomer, 3H, CH\({}_{3}\)), 2.17 (s, \(E\)-conformer, 3H, CH\({}_{3}\)). \({}^{13}\)C NMR 149.9 (s, 1C, C\(\equiv\)C, \(\beta\) C), 148.9 (Ar), 132.0 (Ar), 130.2 (s, C=C, \(\alpha\) carbon), 130.0 (\(Z\)-Ar), 129.3 (Ar), 129.0 (\(E\) Ar),128.4 (\(Z\)-Ar),127.2 (q, J = 264.5 Hz,1C, CF\({}_{3}\)), 126.4 (\(E\)-Ar), 125.9 (Ar), 124.7 (Ar), 122.0 (Ar), 19.3 (s, 1C, \(E\)-CH\({}_{3}\)), 13.7 (s, 1C, \(Z\) CH\({}_{3}\)). GC/MS _m_/_z_ (M\({}^{+}\)) 231. 2.2.8. 1-Trifluoromethyl-3-(Nitroprop-1-Enyl)Benzene **15**  
The product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel with hexane/ethyl acetate (20/1) to obtain a yellow liquid in yield of 46%. \({}^{1}\)H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)): \(\delta_{\rm H}\) (ppm) 8.07 (s, 1H, C=C-H), 7.44-4.38 (t, \(J=8.66\) Hz, 1H Ar-H), 7.27 (d, \(J=7.91\) Hz, 1H, Ar-H), 7.19 (d, 1H, Ar-H), 7.17 (s, 1H, r-H), 2.34 (s, 3H, CH\({}_{3}\)). \({}^{13}\)C NMR 149.1 (s, C=C, \(\beta\) C), 133.3 (Ar), 132.8 (Ar), 131.6 (Ar), 131.2 (Ar), 130.3 (Ar), 129.5 (Ar), 126.3 (s, C=C, \(\alpha\) carbon), 123.6 (q, \(J=\) A272.4 Hz, 1C, CF\({}_{3}\)), 13.8 (s, CH\({}_{3}\)). GC/MS _m_/_z_ (M\({}^{+}\)) 231. 2.2.9. 1-Trifluormethoxy-4-(Nitroprop-1-Enyl)Benzene **16**  
4-trifluoromethylobenzaldehyde (1 g, 5.3 mmol), ammonium acetate (0.12 g, 1.6 mmol) and nitroethane (3.3 g, 43.3 mmol) were heated at 115 \({}^{\circ}\)C for 5 h. The yellow mixture was placed under high vacuum to remove excessive nitroethane and then dissolved in chloroform (10 mL), washed with water (3 \(\times\) 20 mL) and washed again with saturated brine solution (25%, 2 \(\times\) 20 mL). The washed mixture was then dried over MgSO\({}_{4}\), and then concentrated under high vacuum. 73% yield, yellow crystals mp 47-48 \({}^{\circ}\)C. \({}^{1}\)H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)): \(\delta_{\rm H}\) (ppm) 7.98 (s, 1H, C=C-H), 7.42 (d, \(J=8.66\) Hz, 2H, Ar-H), 7.24 (d, \(J=8.29\) Hz, 2H, Ar-H), 2.37 (s, 3H, CH\({}_{3}\)).