Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of 1-[2-(2-chloroethoxy)ethyl]-2-methyl-4-nitro-1<i>H</i>-imidazole

Imidazoles are a widely studied class of heterocyclic compounds with significant biological and pharmacological relevance, including applications as fungicides, herbicides, and therapeutic agents. The title compound, C₈H₁₂ClN₃O₃ (<b>I</b>), is a structural analogue and impurity of the anti-protozoal drug metronidazole, making it valuable for mechanistic and drug development studies. Here, we report its crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis. Crystals of <b>I</b> are triclinic, space-group type <i>P</i>1, with two independent mol-ecules (<i>A</i> and <i>B</i>) in the asymmetric unit, each exhibiting chloro-eth-oxy-ethyl chain disorder over two conformations. Both mol-ecules have essentially planar methyl-nitro-1<i>H</i>-imidazole cores, with conformational variation arising from the side chains. The structure lacks conventional hydrogen bonds but features several weak C-H⋯O, C-H⋯N, and C-H⋯Cl inter-actions, connecting mol-ecules into dimers and layers parallel to the <i>ac</i>-plane. Hirshfeld surface analysis reveals that the mol-ecular environments of <i>A</i> and <i>B</i> are similar and dominated by contacts involving hydrogen.