Ethyl 2-[2-(3-methoxyphenyl)hydrazinylidene]-3-oxobutanoate

The title compound, C13H16N2O4, is approximately planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.065 Å for the 19 non-H atoms). An intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bond generates an S(6) ring motif and the molecule adopts an E conformation with respect to the central C=N double bond. In the crystal, pairs of intermolecular C—H...O hydrogen bonds link adjacent molecules into inversion dimers. The crystal structure also features weak C—H...π interactions