Crystal structure and Hirshfeld-surface analysis of the pesticide etoxazole

Abstract

The crystal structure of the insecticide/acaricide etoxazole is presented along with a Hirshfeld surface analysis of inter­molecular inter­actions present in the crystal structure.

Etoxazole (C₂₁H₂₃F₂NO₂), systematic name 4-(4-tert-butyl-2-eth­oxy­phen­yl)-2-(2,6-di­fluoro­phen­yl)-4,5-di­hydro-1,3-oxazole, is a fluorinated insecticide and acaricide that inhibits chitin biosynthesis, disrupting insect development by preventing proper exoskeleton formation. Widely used in agriculture since 1998, it is readily absorbed by plant tissues and translocates within leaves. Metabolic studies have identified several oxidative degradation products, while toxicol­ogical assessments have examined potential effects, including oxidative stress. This study presents a detailed crystallographic and Hirshfeld surface analysis of etoxazole. The mol­ecule consists of a central di­hydro-oxazole ring flanked by 2,6-di­fluoro­phenyl and 4-tert-butyl-2-eth­oxy­phenyl groups, each twisted relative to the oxazole core. The di­hydro-oxazole ring is nearly planar, with the substituted phenyl rings forming dihedral angles of 44.20 (4)° and 47.87 (4)° with the mean plane of the di­hydro-oxazole. The eth­oxy group exhibits a dihedral angle of 15.04 (11)° to the tert-butyl­phenyl ring, while the tert-butyl group itself shows minor torsional disorder [major:minor occupancies are 0.760 (6):0.240 (6)]. The mol­ecular packing is dominated by van der Waals-type inter­actions, though weak C—H⋯F and C—H⋯O inter­actions lead to pleated layers parallel to the ab plane, which further stack along the c-axis direction. A Hirshfeld surface analysis confirms the prevalence of van der Waals inter­actions in crystal stabilization.