Crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface and photo­physical analysis of 2-nitro-3-phenyl-9H-carbazole

The title compound, C18H12N2O2, was synthesized from a di­nitro­biphenyl­benzene derivative using a novel modification of the Cadogan reaction. The reaction has several possible ring-closed products and the title compound was separated as the major product. The X-ray crystallographic study revealed that the carbazole compound crystallizes in the monoclinic PUnlabelled Image space group and possesses a single closed Cadogan ring. There are two independent mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit. In the crystal, the mol­ecules are linked by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonding.