Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of ethyl 5-phenylisoxazole-3-carboxylate

The title compound, C<inf>12</inf>H<inf>11</inf>NO<inf>3</inf>, is an intermediate used in the synthesis of many drug-like molecules. The molecule is almost planar, with the phenyl ring inclined to the isoxazole ring by 0.5(1)°. The ester moiety has an extended conformation and is almost in the same plane with respect to the isoxazole ring, as indicated by the O - C - C - N torsion angle of -172.86(18)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked via pairs of C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds with the same acceptor atom, forming inversion dimers with two R 2¹(7) ring motifs. The molecules stack in layers lying parallel to (10-3). Analysis using Hirshfeld surface generation and two-dimensional fingerprint plots explores the distribution of weak intermolecular interactions in the crystal structure.