N,N′-Bis(3-methoxy­benzyl­idene)ethane-1,2-diamine

The mol­ecule of the title bidentate Schiff base ligand, C(18)H(20)N(2)O(2), has twofold crystallographic rotation symmetry, giving one half-mol­ecule per asymmetric unit. It adopts a twisted E configuration with respect to the azomethine C=N bond. The imino group is coplanar with the aromatic ring. The dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 69.52 (5)°. The meth­oxy group is coplanar with the benzene ring, as indicated by the C—O—C—C torsion angle of −179.56 (8)°. In the unit cell, mol­ecules are linked together by inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming chains along the a axis; these chains are further stacked down the b axis by both inter­molecular C—H⋯O and C—H⋯π inter­actions.