A novel procedure has been devised for the synthesis of derivatives of 1 H-indole that is based on the direct, room-temperature electrochemical reduction of substituted o- nitrostyrenes at carbon cathodes in N, N-dimethylformamide containing tetramethylammonium tetrafluoroborate as supporting electrolyte and in the presence of a 10-fold molar excess of a proton donor (phenol or methyl 3-oxobutanoate).