C13H11NO

C13H11NO is a molecular formula representing a family of organic compounds that contain 13 carbon atoms, 11 hydrogen atoms, one nitrogen atom, and one oxygen atom. The formula corresponds to nine degrees of unsaturation, which is consistent with structures that include aromatic rings and carbonyl or heterocyclic features. Because multiple connectivity patterns can give the same formula, C13H11NO does not identify a unique compound by itself.

A well-known example that matches this formula is benzanilide, also known as N-phenylbenzamide. Its structure consists of a benzamide core with an extra phenyl group attached to the amide nitrogen, giving Ph-CO-NH-Ph. A common representation for this compound is the SMILES string c1ccccc1C(=O)Nc2ccccc2, and its molecular formula is indeed C13H11NO. Benzanilide appears as a crystalline solid and has been used as an intermediate in organic synthesis and as a reference in certain analytical contexts.

Because many structural isomers share the same empirical formula, identifying a specific compound requires structural information beyond the formula alone. Other isomers with the same C13H11NO composition may feature different arrangements of rings, amide, or other nitrogen- and oxygen-containing functional groups, leading to varied physical and chemical properties.

The molecular weight of C13H11NO is approximately 197.24 g/mol. In practice, analytical techniques such as NMR, IR, and mass spectrometry are used to distinguish among isomers that share this formula.