A
bicyclic molecule is a molecule that features just two
rings. Bicyclic molecules occur widely in
organic and
inorganic compounds. Among organic compounds, the two rings can be fully carbocyclic (all atoms in each ring all carbons), or one or both can be
heterocyclic (at least one atom in the rings not a carbon atom). Moreover, the two rings can both be aliphatic, or can be aromatic, or a combination of aliphatic and aromatic (cf.
decalins and
naphthalenes,
norbornanes and
cyclophanes,
aliphatic spiro compounds and
spiroaromatics, and
biphenyl and cyclohexylbenzene, as aromatic and mixed examples).