(E)-N-(4-Nitrobenzylidene)-2,6-dimethylaniline (1) and (E)-N-(4-nitrobenzylidene)-2,3-dimethylaniline (2) have been synthesized. The crystal structures of both compounds have been defined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The maximum one-photon absorption (OPA) wavelengths recorded by quantum mechanical computations using a configuration interaction (CI) method are estimated in the UV region to be shorter than 450 nm, showing good optical transparency to the visible light. To provide an insight into the microscopic third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of the investigated molecules, both dispersion-free (static) and also frequency-dependent (dynamic) linear polarizabilities (α) and second hyperpolarizabilities (γ) at λ = 825-1125 nm and 1050-1600 nm wavelength areas have been computed using time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) method. According to the ab initio calculation results, the title molecules exhibit second hyperpolarizabilities with non-zero values, implying microscopic third-order NLO behavior. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.