4-Diethyl-amino-3,5-diisopropyl-benzalde-hyde.

The title benzaldehyde, C(17)H(27)NO, was prepared via lithia-tion of bromoaniline and reaction with DMF. In the crystal, the molecule adopts a C2-symmetrical conformation; nevertheless, two modes of disorder are present: the orientation of the aldehyde group (occupancy ratio 0.5:0.5) and of symmetry-equivalent ethyl groups [occupancy ratio 0.595†(7):0.405†(7)]. The phenyl-ene ring and the carbonyl group are essentially coplanar [C-C-C-O torsion angle = -179.0†(4)°] but the dihedral angle between the mean planes of the phenyl-ene ring and the amino group = 67.5†(2)°. This and the long [1.414†(3)†à ] aniline C-N bond indicate electronic decoupling between the carbonyl and amino groups. The angle sum of 359.9†(2)° around the N atom results from steric compression-induced rehybridization.