Crystal structure of (3E)-3-[(4-nitro-phen-oxy)-meth-yl]-4-phenyl-but-3-en-2-one.

In the title compound, C17H15NO4, the conformation about the C=C double bond [1.348†(2)†à ] is E with the ketone group almost co-planar [C-C-C-C torsion angle = 7.2†(2)°] but the phenyl group twisted away [C-C-C-C = 160.93†(17)°]. The terminal aromatic rings are almost perpendicular to each other [dihedral angle = 81.61†(9)°] giving the mol-ecule an overall U-shape. The crystal packing feature benzene-C-H⋯O(ketone) contacts that lead to supra-molecular helical chains along the b axis. These are connected by π-π inter-actions between benzene and phenyl rings [inter-centroid distance = 3.6648†(14)†à ], resulting in the formation of a supra-molecular layer in the bc plane.