2,2′‐{2‐[( E )‐3‐Phenylprop‐2‐enyl]‐2,3‐dihydro‐1 H ‐isoindol‐1,3‐diylidene}dimalononitrile, a π‐deficient system for π⋯π (1:1) stacking investigations

The title compound, C 23 H 13 N 5 , derived from cinnamyl alcohol and 2,2′‐(isoindolin‐1,3‐diylidene)bispropanedinitrile, is a heterocyclic TCNQ analogue of interest as an electron‐deficient component in charge‐transfer complexes. A small perturbation of the four C—C[triple‐bond]N angles from linearity is observed, which are in the range 173.41 (18)–176.3 (2)°; the C[triple‐bond]N bond lengths are in the range 1.144 (2)–1.146 (2) Å. The terminal phenyl group is oriented at an angle of 77.17 (6)° to the C 4 N ring and the C=C bond is short, 1.319 (2) Å. There are no classical hydrogen bonds, although intramolecular C—H⋯N and intermolecular C—H⋯π(arene) interactions influence the crystal‐structure packing.