Chains of edge-fused hydrogenbonded R-3(3)(12) rings in N-phenyl-4-nitrophthalimide

Molecules of the title compound [systematic name: 5-nitro-1H-isoindole-1,3(2H)-dione], C14H8N2O4, adopt a conformation in the solid state which renders them chiral, and they are linked by three distinct types of direction-specific intermolecular interaction. The molecules are linked by two C-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds [H center dot center dot center dot O = 2.50 and 2.52 angstrom, C center dot center dot center dot O = 3.118 (7) and 3.294 (7) angstrom, and C-H center dot center dot center dot O = 123 and 139 degrees] into chains of edge-fused R-3(3)(12) rings, which are themselves weakly linked into sheets by a combination of an aromatic pi-pi stacking interaction and a sheared-parallel carbonyl-carbonyl interaction.