## 2 Experimental Section
### General \(\beta\)-Nitrostyrene Synthesis Method  
A mixture of 1 equivalent of the aldehyde, nitroethane, (2 equivalents) 1-butylamine (0.03 g) and glacial acetic acid (0.03 g) was heated at 100 \({}^{\circ}\)C under reflux conditions for 2 h (reaction progress monitored by TLC). The cooled reaction mixture was concentrated under vacuum, extracted with ethyl acetate (10 mL) and the organic residue consecutively washed with dilute solutions of HCl (0.1 mol L\({}^{-1}\)) and NaOH (0.1 mol L\({}^{-1}\)). The organic phase was concentrated under vacuum, and the residue was recrystallized three times from 95% ethanol to furnish the product, melting point (MP) determined and characterized by spectrometric analysis. Figure 1: The structures of the _E_-\(\beta\)-nitrostyrene derivative test compounds. **2,2-Difluoro-5-[(1_E_)-2-nitroprop-1-en-1-yl] Benzodioxole (B):** A mixture of 2,2-difluoro-5-formylbenzodioxole (1.0 g, 5.3 mmol) and nitroethane (2.5 g) was reacted according to the general synthesis protocol to furnish a yellow powder, MP 65-66 \({}^{\circ}\)C, in a 65% yield. \({}^{1}\)H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)): \(\delta_{\rm H}\) (ppm): 8.05 (s, 1H, _H_-C=C), 7.18-7.19 (multiplet, 3 Ar-H), 2.46 (s, 3H, C-_H, E_), 1.56 (s, 3H, C-_H, Z_). \({}^{13}\)C NMR (300 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)) \(\delta_{\rm C}\) (ppm): 148.0 (Ar), 144.6 (Ar), 144.2 (Ar), 132.2 (CH-Ar), 131.6 (t, \(J\) = 257.2 Hz, _C_-F\({}_{2}\)), 128.5 (C=_C_, \(\beta\) carbon), 126.5 (Ar), 131.6 (C=C, \(\alpha\) carbon), 128.5 (Ar), 128.2 (Ar), 126.5 (CH-Ar), 110.5 (CH-Ar), 110.0 (CH-Ar), 14.0 (\(-\)CH\({}_{3}\)). **B** Hires mass spectrum GC/MS _m_/_z_ (M\({}^{+}\)) C\({}_{10}\)H\({}_{7}\)F\({}_{2}\)NO\({}_{5}\): calculated 243.0338, found 243.0371. **1-Bromo-4-b-[(_E_)-2-nitroethenyl] Benzene (C):** A mixture of 4-bromobenzaldehyde (0.74 g, 4 mmol) and nitromethane (0.5 g, 8 mmol) was reacted according to the general synthesis protocol to furnish yellow crystals, MP 145-146 \({}^{\circ}\)C in a 33% yield. GC/MS _m_/_z_ (M\({}^{+}\)) 228. **1-Bromo-4-b-[(1_E_)-2-nitroprop-1-en-1-yl] Benzene (D):** A mixture of 4-bromobenzaldehyde (0.93 g, 5 mmol) and nitroethane (0.6 g, 8 mmol) was reacted according to the general synthesis protocol to furnish yellow crystals, MP 148-149 \({}^{\circ}\)C, in a 24% yield. GC/MS _m_/_z_ (M\({}^{+}\)) 242. **[(_E_)-2-nitroethenyl] Benzene (E):** A mixture of benzaldehyde (0.42 g, 4 mmol) and nitromethane (0.49 g, 8 mmol) was reacted according to the general synthesis protocol to furnish yellow crystals, MP 51-52 \({}^{\circ}\)C, in a 24% yield. GC/MS _m_/_z_ (M\({}^{+}\)) 149. **1-Chloro-4-b-[(1_E_)-2-nitroprop-1-en-1-yl] Benzene (F):** A mixture of 4-chlorobenzaldehyde (0.70 g, 5 mmol) and nitroethane (0.6 g, 8 mmol) was reacted according to the general synthesis protocol to furnish yellow crystals, MP 89-91 \({}^{\circ}\)C, in a 25% yield. \({}^{1}\)H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)): \(\delta_{\rm H}\) (ppm): 8.05 (s, 1H, _H_-C=C), 7.28-8.05 (multiplet, 4 Ar-H), 2.46 (s, 3H, C-_H, E_), 1.55 (s, 3H, C-_H, Z_). \({}^{13}\)C NMR (300 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)) \(\delta_{\rm C}\) (ppm): 148.1 (Ar), 136.1 (Ar), 132.2 (Ar), 131.2 (CH-Ar), 130.9 (CH-Ar), 129.3 (CH-Ar), 14.0 (\(-\)CH\({}_{3}\)). GC/MS _m_/_z_ (M\({}^{+}\)) 197. **[(_E_)-2-Nitropropenyl] Benzene (G):** A mixture of benzaldehyde (0.53 g, 5 mmol) and nitroethane (0.6 g, 8 mmol) was reacted according to the general synthesis protocol to furnish yellow crystals, MP 60-62 \({}^{\circ}\)C, in a 26% yield. GC/MS _m_/_z_ (M\({}^{+}\)) 163. **[2-Bromo-(_E_)-2-nitroethenyl] Benzene (H):** A mixture of benzaldehyde (1.06 g, 10 mmol), bromointromethane (1.0 g, 7 mmol), glacial acetic acid (0.05 g) and NH\({}_{4}\)OAc (0.19 g) was heated at 100 \({}^{\circ}\)C under reflux conditions for 2 h (reaction progress monitored by TLC). The cooled reaction mixture was concentrated under vacuum, extracted with ethyl acetate (10 mL) and the organic residue consecutively washed with dilute solutions of HCl (0.1 mol L\({}^{-1}\)) and NaOH (0.1 mol L\({}^{-1}\)).