A bicyclic molecule is a molecule that features two fused rings. Bicyclic molecules occur widely in organic and inorganic compounds.
Fusion of the rings can occur in three ways:
- Across a bond between two atoms - for example, decalin (also known as bicyclodecane), has a C-C bond shared between two cyclohexane rings
- Across a sequence of atoms (bridgehead) - for example, norbornane (also known as bicycloheptane), can be viewed as a pair of cyclopentane rings that share three of the five carbon atoms
- At a single atom (spirocyclic, forming a spiro compound)
Singly fused rings are the most common, and spiro rings are the least common.
Read more about Bicyclic Molecule: Bridges, Nomenclature
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