N-[2-(2-Hy-droxy-eth-oxy)pheneth-yl]phthalimide.

The title compound, C18H17NO4, was obtained accidentally through acid-catalysed aromatization of a phthalimide-substituted 2-(1-hy­droxy­eth­yl)cyclo­hex-2-enone. It exhibits an intra­molecular O—H⋯Oc (c = carbonyl) hydrogen bond and forms a three-dimensional network structure via π–π stacking inter­actions between adjacent benzene rings (phthalimide-to-phenyl­ene and phthalimide-to-phthalimide), with centroid–centroid distances of 3.8262 (6) and 3.6245 (5) A.