Two (Z)‐N‐aryl‐3‐benzylideneisoindolin‐1‐ones

Two isoindolin‐1‐one derivatives, (Z)‐3‐benzyl­idene‐N‐phenyl­isoindolin‐1‐one, C₂₁H₁₅NO, (II), and (Z)‐3‐benzyl­idene‐N‐(4‐methoxy­phenyl)­isoindolin‐1‐one, C₂₂H₁₇NO₂, (III), were synthesized by the palladium‐catalysed heteroannulation. The mol­ecules of both compounds have a Z configuration. The interplanar angles between the five‐ and six‐membered rings of the isoindolinone moiety in (II) and (III) are 1.66 (11) and 2.26 (7)°, respectively. The phenyl rings at the N‐position in (II) and (III) are twisted out of the C₄N ring plane by 62.77 (11) and 67.10 (7)°, respectively. The substitutions at the N and C‐3 positions of the isoindolinone system have little influence on the molecular dimensions of the resulting compounds.