(Z)-Ethyl 3-(2,4,6-trimethyl-anilino)but-2-enoate

The title compound, C(15)H(21)NO(2), was obtained by the reaction of acetoacetate with 2,4,6-trimethyl-aniline using Mexican bentonitic clay as a catalyst. It crystallizes in the enamine form. The β-enamino ester residue is almost perpendicular to the aromatic ring [dihedral angle = 88.10 (6)°]. The mol-ecular conformation is stabilized by a strong intra-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bond. In addition, the N-H group forms a weak inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bond linking the mol-ecules into centrosymmetric dimers.