Phenyl(1-phenylsulfonyl-1H-indol-2-yl)-methanone

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C₂₁H ₁₅NO₃S, contains two crystallographically independent molecules. As a result of the electron-withdrawing character of the phenyl-sulfonyl groups, the N - Csp ² bond lengths are slightly longer than the anti-cipated value of approximately 1.35 Å for N atoms with planar configurations. Both unique S atoms have a distorted tetra-hedral configuration. In each molecule, the indole ring system is essentially planar (r.m.s. deviations for all non-H atoms of 0.020 and 0.023 Å). In one molecule, the indole ring system makes dihedral angles of 65.7 (8) and 73.4 (8)°, respectively, with the benzene and phenyl rings [62.2 (7) and 72.1 (7)°, respectively, in the other molecule].