Crystal structure of rac-(3a'R,9a'R)-3a'-(indol-3-yl)-1',2',3',3a',4',9a'-hexa-hydro-spiro-[cyclo-pentane-1,9'-penta-leno[1,2-b]indole] p-xylene hemisolvate.

The title compound, C26H26N2·0.5C8H10, is the first reported characterized 2:2 product from acid-catalyzed condensation of indole with cyclo-penta-none and no other 2:2 products were observed. Recrystallization from p-xylene gave the title hemisolvate with the p-xylene mol-ecule located about an inversion center. The terminal penta-lene ring is envelope-flap disordered at the C atom farthest from the skeletal indole unit, with a refined occupancy ratio of 0.819 (4):0.181 (4). The major component has this C atom bent away from the spiro-fused cyclo-pentane ring. In the crystal, mol-ecules are connected by N-H⋯π inter-actions, forming chains along [100], and N-H⋯π and C-H⋯π inter-actions, forming chains along [001], which results in the formation of slabs parallel to (010).