ENZYL-5-METHOXYCARBONYLMETHYLTHIO-4-NITROIMIDAZOLE

Molecules of the title compound, methyl 1-benzyl-4-nitro-5-imidazolylt hioacetate, C13H13N3O4S, can be viewed as an arrangement of three inte rsecting planes of atoms. The plane of the imidazole ring and its bond ed atoms (r.m.s.d. = 0.030 Angstrom) intersects the plane of the benzy l group (r.m.s.d. = 0.004 Angstrom) at an angle of 89.0(5)degrees. The plane of atoms extending from the S atom to the methyl group (r.m.s.d . = 0.004 Angstrom) intersects the first two planes at angles of 85.9( 5) and 15.2(5)degrees, respectively. The imidazole ring is twisted abo ut the S-C3(ring) bond so that the C11-S-C3-N1(ring) torsion angle is obtuse. The conformation of the chain of atoms from the imidazole ring to the benzyl group is nominally trans, while that to the thioacetate is gauche.