Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of 2-(4-nitro-phen-yl)-2-oxoethyl 2-chloro-benzoate

The title compound, C₁₅H₁₀ClNO₅, is relatively planar with the two aromatic rings being inclined to each other by 3.56 (11)°. The central -C(=O)-C-O-C(=O)- bridge is slightly twisted, with a C-C-O-C torsion angle of 164.95 (16)°. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by C-H⋯O and C-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds, forming layers parallel to the (101) plane. The layers are linked by a further C-H⋯O hydrogen bond, forming a three-dimensional supra-molecular structure. There are a number of offset π-π inter-actions present between the layers [inter-centroid distances vary from 3.8264 (15) to 3.9775 (14) Å]. Hirshfeld surface analyses, the d _norm surfaces, electrostatic potential and two-dimensional fingerprint plots were examined to verify the contributions of the different inter-molecular contacts within the supra-molecular structure. The shape-index surface shows that two sides of the mol-ecule are involved in the same contacts with neighbouring mol-ecules, and the curvedness plot shows flat surface patches that are characteristic of planar stacking.