Crystal structure of 2-{(R)-[1-(4-bromo-phen-yl)eth-yl]imino-meth-yl}-4-(phenyl-diazen-yl)phenol, a chiral photochromic Schiff base.

The title chiral photochromic Schiff base compound, C21H18BrN3O, was synthesized from (R)-(+)-1-(4-bromo-phen-yl)ethyl-amine and the salicyl-aldehyde of an azo-benzene derivative. The mol-ecule corresponds to the phenol-imine tautomer, the C=N and N-C bond distances being 1.285 (3) and 1.470 (3) Å, respectively. The diazenyl group adopts a trans form, with an N=N distance of 1.256 (3) Å. The hy-droxy group is involved in intra-molecular O-H⋯N hydrogen bonding. In the crystal, C-H⋯π inter-actions consolidate the crystal packing of one-dimensional chains, which exhibits short inter-molecular Br⋯C contacts of 3.400 (3) Å.