N-{2-[N-(4-Methylphenyl)oxamoyl]phenyl}propanamide

The title compound, C(18)H(18)N(2)O(3), is the product of the heterocyclic ring cleavage at position 2 of 1-propionylisatin. Two centrosymmetric cyclic motifs, viz. R(2)(2)(14) and R(2)(2)(18), are formed by N-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds with the propanamide and aminophenyl units, respectively, as the N- H donors. These motifs combine into two C(2)(2)(8) chain motifs parallel to the b axis. The chain structure is stabilized by C-H center dot center dot center dot pi interactions between the benzene rings, where C-H is from the phenyl ring of the cleaved part of 1-propionylisatin.