Cyclobutane sequences do occur in nature

Alex00115 Mar, 2023Science

The four carbon atoms in cyclobutane are not coplanar; instead, the rings typically adopt a folded or "pleated" configuration. [2] This means that the C-C-C angle is less than 90°. One of the carbon atoms is at a 25° angle to the plane formed by the other three carbon atoms. In this way, some shadowing interactions are reduced. This configuration is also known as a "butterfly". The equivalent folded conformations are interconverted: Despite the inherent stress, cyclobutane sequences do occur in nature.