Discrete Polyesters Featuring a Cyclic Pendant Group

Shuai Wang; Qin He; Xi-Tong Chen; Dong-Dong Zhou; Zhan-Hui Gan; Xue-Hui Dong

doi:10.1007/s10118-025-3502-8

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Discrete Polyesters Featuring a Cyclic Pendant Group

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-01-30

- Discrete Polyesters Featuring a Cyclic Pendant Group
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Issue 2, Pages: 416-422(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  a.South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
  b.Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
  c.Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials, Guangzhou 510640, China
  d.College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
- Author bio：
  
  zhgan@scut.edu.cn (Z.H.G.)
  xdong@scut.edu.cn (X.H.D.)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-025-3502-8
  CLC：
- Received：08 October 2025，
  
  Accepted：13 November 2025，
  
  Online First：19 January 2026，
  
  Published：05 February 2026
- Accepted：
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Wang, S.; He, Q.; Chen, X. T.; Zhou, D. D.; Gan, Z. H.; Dong, X. H. Discrete polyesters featuring a cyclic pendant group. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 416–422

Shuai Wang, Qin He, Xi-Tong Chen, et al. Discrete Polyesters Featuring a Cyclic Pendant Group[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(2): 416-422.
Wang, S.; He, Q.; Chen, X. T.; Zhou, D. D.; Gan, Z. H.; Dong, X. H. Discrete polyesters featuring a cyclic pendant group. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 416–422 DOI： 10.1007/s10118-025-3502-8.

Shuai Wang, Qin He, Xi-Tong Chen, et al. Discrete Polyesters Featuring a Cyclic Pendant Group[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(2): 416-422. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-025-3502-8.

摘要

Discrete polyesters with cyclic side chains were synthesized

via

iterative growth. Cyclic pendant groups lead to more compact chain conformation and higher glass transition temperature compared to linear analogues

demonstrating topology-property relationships.

Abstract

In contrast to cyclic polymers with ring-like backbones

side-chain cyclization is another intriguing structural feature that has not been extensively studied. In this study

a library of orthogonally protected monomers featuring monocyclic

dicyclic

or tricyclic pendant motifs was designed and prepared based on malic acid derivatives. Polyesters with precise chemical structures and uniform chain lengths were prepared modularly through iterative growth. Meticulous control over the chemical details allows for a close investigation of the topological effects on the polymer properties. Compared to their linear side chain counterparts

the presence of cyclic pendant groups has a significant impact on chain conformation

leading to a reduction in hydrodynamic volume and an enhancement in the glass transition temperature. These results underscore the potential of tailoring polymer properties through rational engineering of side chain topology.

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references

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