N-Methyl-N-(1-phenylsulfonylindol-2-ylmethyl)aniline

In the title compound, 2-[(methylphenylamino)methyl]-1-(phenylsulfonyl)indole, C22H20N2O2S, the indole system is not strictly planar and the dihedral angle between the fused rings is 2.7 (1) degrees. The angles around the S atom of the sulfonyl substituent deviate significantly from the ideal value for tetrahedral geometry. The pyramidalization at the indole N atom is very small. Of the two C-H...O interactions, one influences the orientation of indole with respect to the sulfonyl group and the other determines the orientation of the phenyl bound to sulfonyl. The phenyl ring of the sulfonyl substituent makes a dihedral angle of 89.6 (1) degrees with the best plane of the indole. The molecular packing is stabilized by C-H...pi and C-H...O hydrogen bonds.