A heterocyclic compound or ring structure is a cyclic compound that has atoms of at least two different elements as members of its ring(s). Heterocyclic organic chemistry is the branch of organic chemistry dealing with the synthesis, properties, and applications of organic heterocycles.
Structures and names of common heterocyclic compounds
A cyclic compound is a term for a compound in the field of chemistry in which one or more series of atoms in the compound is connected to form a ring. Rings may vary in size from three to many atoms, and include examples where all the atoms are carbon, none of the atoms are carbon, or where both carbon and non-carbon atoms are present. Depending on the ring size, the bond order of the individual links between ring atoms, and their arrangements within the rings, carbocyclic and heterocyclic compounds may be aromatic or non-aromatic; in the latter case, they may vary from being fully saturated to having varying numbers of multiple bonds between the ring atoms. Because of the tremendous diversity allowed, in combination, by the valences of common atoms and their ability to form rings, the number of possible cyclic structures, even of small size numbers in the many billions.
Chelating macrocyclic structures of interest in inorganic and supramolecular chemistry, an example array. A, the crown ether, 18-crown-6; B, the simple tetra-aza chelator, cyclam; C, an example porphyrin, the unsubstituted porphine; D, a mixed amine/imine, the Curtis macrocycle; E, the related enamine/imine Jäger macrocycle, and F, the tetracarboxylate-derivative DOTA macrocycle.
A representative three-dimensional shape adopted by paclitaxel, as a result of its unique cyclic structure.
Image: Cycloctane conformations
