1,3-Bis(3-nitrophenyl)triazene

Article abstract of DOI:10.1107/S0108270198010415

The title molecule, C₁₂H₉N₅O₄, has trans geometry about the azo linkage. The dihedral angle between the two phenyl rings is 6.2(2)°. The whole molecule is almost planar and the maximum deviation from the mean plane is 0.166 (3) A. The resonance effect in the triazene group which might explain the antitumour activity of some triazene derivatives is discussed. In the crystal structure, while the twofold screw-related molecules are packed in a simple herringbone pattern, the inversion-centre-related molecules form hydrogen-bonded dimers which are held together through π...π interactions along the [010] direction.