1-(2,4-Dinitrophenyl)-2-[(E)-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzylidene)]hydrazine

Molecules of the title compound, C16H16N4O7, are not planar with a dihedral angle of 5.50 (11)degrees between the substituted benzene rings. The two meta- methoxy groups of the 3,4,5trimethoxybenzene moiety lie in the plane of the attached ring [ Cmethyl- O- C- C torsion angles -0.1 (4)degrees and -3.7 (3)degrees] while the para- methoxy substituent lies out of the plane [C-methyl O- C- C, -86.0 ( 3)degrees]. An intramolecular N-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bond involving the 2- nitro substituent generates an S( 6) ring motif. In the crystal structure, molecules are linked by weak C-H center dot center dot center dot O interactions into screw chains, that are arranged into a sheet parallel to the bc plane. These sheets are connected by pi-pi stacking interactions between the nitro and methoxy substituted aromatic rings with a centroidcentroid separation of 3.9420 (13) angstrom. C-H center dot center dot center dot pi contacts further stabilize the two-dimensional network.