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Overview. A heterocyclic compound is defined as any organic compound where their molecules are characterized by rings containing at least one atom other than carbon. These compounds are structurally similar to cyclic organic hydrocarbons, but their properties can vary widely from those of their hydrocarbon counterparts and are largely governed by the identity, location and number of heteroatoms present in the molecule. It is this rich diversity of physical and biological properties that has lead to intense study of heterocyclic compounds. It follows then that Heterocyclic Chemistry is the study of all aspects of heterocyclic compounds.
Heterocyclic chemistry has its origin in organic synthesis, natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry. Indeed most any heterocyclic chemist will also consider themselves organic chemists and many will consider themselves to be natural products chemists and medicinal chemists as well. This relationship between disciplines arises because heterocyclic molecules are fundamental building blocks of biological systems. In addition to its importance to biology, heterocyclic chemistry has seen intense study in diverse areas such as dyes, photosensitizers, coordination compounds, polymeric materials and many other fields.
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