Recent advances of CuAAC click reaction in building cyclic polymer

Cyclic polymers have attracted more and more attentions in recent years because of their unique topological structures and characteristic properties in both solution and bulk state. There are relatively few reports on cyclic polymers, partly because of the more demanding synthetic procedures. In recent years, “click” reaction, especially Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), has been widely utilized in the synthesis of cyclic polymer materials because of its high efficiency and low susceptibility to side reactions. In this review, we will focus on three aspects: (1) Constructions of monocyclic polymer using CuAAC “click” chemistry; (2) Formation of complex cyclic polymer topologies through CuAAC reactions; (3) Using CuAAC “click” reaction in the precise synthesis of molecularly defined macrocycles. We believe that the CuAAC click reaction is playing an important role in the design and synthesis of functional cyclic polymers.