Crystal structure of (3E)-3-[(4-nitro­phen­oxy)­meth­yl]-4-phenyl­but-3-en-2-one

In the title compound, C₁₇H₁₅NO₄, the conformation about the C=C double bond [1.348 (2) Å] 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 mol­ecule an overall U-shape. The crystal packing feature benzene-C—H...O(ketone) contacts that lead to supra­molecular helical chains along the b axis. These are connected by π–π inter­actions between benzene and phenyl rings [inter-centroid distance = 3.6648 (14) Å], resulting in the formation of a supra­molecular layer in the bc plane.