1-[5-(Anthracen-9-yl)-3-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]ethanone

In the title compound, C25H20N2O, the pyrazoline ring is nearly planar [maximum atomic deviation = 0.0254 (17) angstrom]; but the anthracene ring system is distorted from a coplanar structure [maximum atomic deviation = 0.181 (3) angstrom], the dihedral angle between the outer benzene rings being 10.68 (13)degrees. The pyrazoline ring is almost perpendicular to the mean plane of the anthracene ring system [dihedral angle = 76.94 (8)degrees], but nearly coplanar with the phenyl ring [dihedral angle = 1.63 (7)degrees]. pi-pi stacking is observed between parallel benzene rings of adjacent anthracene units, the faceto- face distance being 3.27 (3) angstrom. Weak intramolecular C-H center dot center dot center dot N hydrogen bonding also occurs.