The synthesis of cyclic polymers by olefin metathesis: Achievements and challenges

Cyclic polymers have drawn considerable interest for their peculiar physical properties in comparison to linear polymers, despite their equivalent compositions. Synthetically, cyclic polymers can be accessed through either macrocyclic ring-closure or by ring-expansion polymerization, but the main challenge with either method is the production of highly pure cyclic polymer samples. This highlight describes advances in the area of cyclic polymer synthesis, with a particular focus on ring-expansion metathesis polymerization. Methods for characterizing cyclic polymers and assessing their purity are also discussed in order to emphasize the need for additional robust and reliable methods for synthesizing and studying topologically complex macromolecules. (c) 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 228-242