(4Z)-4-Benzylidene-2-phenyl-1,3-oxazol-5(4H)-one

In the title compound, C17H13NO2, the benzene ring is twisted slightly out of the plane of the oxazole ring to which it is attached [dihedral angle = 7.98 (8)°]. Similarly, there is a twist [dihedral angle = 5.50 (8)°] between the oxazole and phenyl rings that are linked via the C=C bond [1.348 (2) Å]; the conformation about the latter is Z. In the crystal, the presence of C—H⋯O, C—H⋯π and π–π interactions [centroid–centroid distance = 3.5259 (9) Å] link the molecules into a three-dimensional architecture.

In the title compound, C 17 H 13 NO 2 , the benzene ring is twisted slightly out of the plane of the oxazole ring to which it is attached [dihedral angle = 7.98 (8) ]. Similarly, there is a twist [dihedral angle = 5.50 (8) ] between the oxazole and phenyl rings that are linked via the C C bond [1.348 (2) Å ]; the conformation about the latter is Z. In the crystal, the presence of C-HÁ Á ÁO, C-HÁ Á Á andinteractions [centroidcentroid distance = 3.5259 (9) Å ] link the molecules into a three-dimensional architecture.
In (I), Fig. 1, the oxazole ring is planar with a r.m.s. deviation for the fitted atoms of 0.007 Å. The pendent benzene ring is slightly twisted out of this plane and forms a dihedral angle of 7.98 (8) The crystal packing is sustained by C-H···O and C-H···π interactions, Table 1, as well as π-π interactions occurring between the oxazole and benzene rings [ring centroid···ring centroid distance = 3.5259 (9) Å for symmetry operation 1 - x, 1 -y, 1 -z]. Globally, molecules assemble into undulating layers that stack along the b axis, Fig. 2.
Experimental 4-Methoxybenzoylglycine was prepared in accord with the literature procedure (Mariappan et al., 2011). A mixture of 4methoxybenzoylglycine (2.1 g, 0.01 mmol), benzaldehyde (1.1 g, 0.02 mmol), anhydrous sodium acetate (0.8 g, 0.01 mmol) and acetic anhydride (4.0 g, 0.04 mmol) was refluxed for 1 h on a water bath with occasional stirring. The resulting mixture was left in a refrigerator overnight. The solid thus obtained was filtered, washed with cold water, dried in an hot-air oven at 333 K and recrystallized from ethanol as yellow polyhedra. Yield: 84%. M.pt: 470-471 K.

Refinement
Carbon-bound H-atoms were placed in calculated positions [C-H = 0.95 to 0.98 Å, U iso (H) = 1.2 to 1.5U eq (C)] and were included in the refinement in the riding model approximation.

Figure 2
A view in projection down the a axis of the unit-cell contents of (I). The C-H···O, C-H···π and π-π interactions are shown as orange, brown and purple dashed lines, respectively.