The crystal structures determination and Hirshfeld surface analysis of N-(4-bromo-3-methoxyphenyl)- and N-{[3-bromo-1-(phenylsulfonyl)-1H-indol-2-yl]methyl}- derivatives of N-{[3-bromo-1-(phenylsulfonyl)-1H-indol-2-yl]methyl}benzenesulfonamide

Two new phenylsulfonylindole derivatives, namely, N -{[3-bromo-1-(phenylsulfonyl)-1 H -indol-2-yl]methyl}- N -(4-bromo-3-methoxyphenyl)benzenesulfonamide, C 28 H 22 Br 2 N 2 O 5 S 2 , ( I ), and N , N -bis{[3-bromo-1-(phenylsulfonyl)-1 H -indol-2-yl]methyl}benzenesulfonamide, C 36 H 27 Br 2 N 3 O 6 S 3 , ( II ), reveal the impact of intramolecular π–π interactions of the indole moieties as a factor not only governing the conformation of N , N -bis(1 H -indol-2-yl)methyl)amines, but also significantly influencing the crystal patterns. For I , the crystal packing is dominated by C—H...π and π–π bonding, with a particular significance of mutual indole–indole interactions. In the case of II , the molecules adopt short intramolecular π–π interactions between two nearly parallel indole ring systems [with the centroids of their pyrrole rings separated by 3.267 (2) Å] accompanied by a set of forced Br...O contacts. This provides suppression of similar interactions between the molecules, while the importance of weak C—H...O hydrogen bonding to the packing naturally increases. Short contacts of the latter type [C...O = 3.389 (6) Å] assemble pairs of molecules into centrosymmetric dimers with a cyclic R 2 2 (13) ring motif. These findings are consistent with the results of a Hirshfeld surface analysis and together they suggest a tool for modulating the supramolecular behavior of phenylsulfonylated indoles.