N-(2,3-Dichlorophenyl)methanesulfonamide

In the structure of the title compound, C7H7Cl2NO2S, the conformation of the N - H bond is syn to both ortho- and meta-chloro substituents, in contrast to it lying between syn and anti to the methyl substituents at the ortho- and meta-positions in N-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)methanesulfonamide and the chloro substituents in N-(2-chlorophenyl)methanesulfonamide and N-(3-chlorophenyl)methanesulfonamide. The bond parameters are similar to those of other methylsulfonanilides, except for some differences in the bond and torsion angles. The amide H atom is available to a receptor molecule during its biological activity, as it lies on one side of the plane of the benzene ring, while the methanesulfonyl group is on the opposite side of the plane, similar to what is observed in other methylsulfonanilides. The molecules in the title compound are packed into chains through N - H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonding.