The molecular structure of cyclobutane has four carbon atoms, and its four carbon atoms are not in the same plane, which is the folded conformation of cyclobutane. Cyclobutane itself is not of commercial or biological interest, but more complex derivatives are important in biology and biotechnology. Currently, nine FDA-approved drugs contain the cyclobutane structure. From the perspective of therapeutic areas, cyclobutyl drugs are mainly distributed in popular areas such as tumors, neurological diseases, infectious diseases, endocrine and metabolic diseases.
When the ends of the chains are joined together into a ring, cyclic compounds result; such substances often are referred to as carbocyclic or alicyclic compounds. Substitution of one or more of the ring carbon atoms in the molecules of a carbocyclic compound with a heteroatom gives a heterocyclic compound.