The title compound, C12H10N4O, comprises a central 1,2,3-triazole ring (r.m.s. deviation = 0.0030 Å) flanked by N-bound 4-cyano-phenyl and C-bound acetyl groups, which make dihedral angles of 54.64 (5) and 6.8 (3)° with the five-membered ring, indicating a twisted mol-ecule. In the crystal, the three-dimensional architecture is sustained by carbonyl-C=O⋯π(triazo-yl), cyano-C≡N⋯π(triazo-yl) (these inter-actions are shown to be attractive based on non-covalent inter-action plots) and π-π stacking inter-actions [inter-centroid separation = 3.9242 (9) Å]. An analysis of the Hirshfeld surface shows the important contributions made by H⋯H (35.9%) and N⋯H (26.2%) contacts to the overall surface, as well as notable contributions by O⋯H (9.9%), C⋯H (8.7%), C⋯C (7.3%) and C⋯N (7.2%) contacts.
The di-substituted acetyl-ene residue in the title compound, C11H11NO3, is capped at either end by di-methyl-hydroxy and 4-nitro-benzene groups; the nitro substituent is close to co-planar with the ring to which it is attached [dihedral angle = 9.4 (3)°]. The most prominent feature of the mol-ecular packing is the formation, via hy-droxy-O-H⋯O(hy-droxy) hydrogen bonds, of hexa-meric clusters about a site of symmetry . The aggregates are sustained by 12-membered {⋯OH}6 synthons and have the shape of a flattened chair. The clusters are connected into a three-dimensional architecture by benzene-C-H⋯O(nitro) inter-actions, involving both nitro-O atoms. The aforementioned inter-actions are readily identified in the calculated Hirshfeld surface. Computational chemistry indicates there is a significant energy, primarily electrostatic in nature, associated with the hy-droxy-O-H⋯O(hy-droxy) hydrogen bonds. Dispersion forces are more important in the other identified but, weaker inter-molecular contacts.