Ethyl 1-phenyl-2-[4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]-1H-benzimidazole-5- carboxylate

In the title compound, C₂₃H₁₇F₃N ₂O₃, an intramolecular C - H⋯F hydrogen bond generates an S(6) ring motif. The essentially planar 1H-benzimidazole ring system [maximum deviation = 0.021 (2) Å] forms dihedral angles of 25.00 (10) and 62.53 (11)° with the trifluoro-meth-oxy-substituted benzene and phenyl rings, respectively. The twist of the ethyl acetate group from the least-squares plane of the 1H-benzimidazole ring system is defined by a C(=O) - O - C - C torsion angle of 79.5 (3)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked into a two-dimensional network parallel to the bc plane by weak C - H⋯N and C - H⋯O hydrogen bonds. Weak C - H⋯π interactions also observed.