Cyclic Polymers: Controlled Synthesis, Properties and Perspectives

• Published in: Chemistry : a European journal 2023-07, Vol.29 (41), p.e202300916-n/a
• Main Authors: Gao, Run‐Tan, Xu, Lei, Li, Shi‐Yi, Liu, Na, Chen, Zheng, Wu, Zong‐Quan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemical synthesis; Chemistry; Controlled synthesis; Cyclic polymer; Functional polymer; Polymers; Ring-closing; Ring-expansion; Topology
• ISSN: 0947-6539; 1521-3765
• DOI: 10.1002/chem.202300916

Recently, cyclic polymers have attracted increasing interest due to their unique topologies, properties, and functions compared to the linear analogues. This mini‐review focuses on the recent advances in the synthesis and applications of cyclic polymers. First, the main synthetic methods for cyclic polymers, namely ring closure and ring expansion methods, are presented and discussed, followed by a review on the exploration of the properties and applications of synthetic cyclic polymers. Finally, a critical assessment of the preliminary studies exploring the efficient synthesis and potential applications of cyclic polymers are presented, and the remaining challenges in the field as well as ideas for solving these challenges will be discussed. Recent advances in controlled synthesis, applications, and future perspectives of cyclic polymers were reviewed and discussed. Major research efforts have been achieved to date regarding the synthesis of cyclic polymers which lead to the expansion of the scope and a growing diversity within this class of molecules. It is believed that a broad range of application prospects will be accessible in the future due to perpetual investigation in this research field. This review aims to turn the spotlight on synthetic strategies for cyclic polymers and encourages further research on this versatile compound class.