Asterane
Introduction

**Asteranes** are members of a series of cage [hydrocarbons](/wiki/Hydrocarbons "Hydrocarbons") consisting of two [cycloalkane](/wiki/Cycloalkane "Cycloalkane") rings linked to each other by [methylene groups](/wiki/Methylene_group "Methylene group"). Each linking face is thus a [cyclohexane](/wiki/Cyclohexane "Cyclohexane"), which has a [boat conformation](/wiki/Boat_conformation "Boat conformation").Henning Hopf, Classics in Hydrocarbon Chemistry, Wiley\-VCH, New York, 2000, pages 34\-37, . They can be considered as homologues of the [prismanes](/wiki/Prismanes "Prismanes"), but with a carbon linker between the faces rather than direct bonding. The molecules having triangular and square bases, \[3]asterane and \[4]asterane, have been synthesized and studied experimentally, and many higher members of the series have been studied using [computer models](/wiki/Computational_chemistry "Computational chemistry"). Modeling experiments predict that the highly symmetric geometry is no longer stable starting with \[8]asterane.


What is the significance of the triangular and square bases in Asteranes?