Prismanes

The prismanes are a class of hydrocarbon compounds consisting of prism-like polyhedra of various numbers of sides on the polygonal base. Chemically, it is a series of fused cyclobutane rings (a ladderane, with all-cis/all-syn geometry) that wraps around to join its ends and form a band, with cycloalkane edges. Their chemical formula is (C₂H₂)_n, where n is the number of cyclobutane sides (the size of the cycloalkane base), and that number also forms the basis for a system of nomenclature within this class. The first few chemicals in this class are: