Ambient temperature catalyst-free light-induced preparation of macrocyclic aliphatic polyesters

The light induced, catalyst-free ambient temperature preparation of macrocyclic aliphatic polyesters is pioneered. Based on the photo-induced Diels-Alder reaction of orthoquinodimethane and acrylate moieties, cyclic polyesters of high purity are readily synthesized. Considering the high tolerance to functional groups and the orthogonality of the ligation, the reported protocol can be easily transferred to a large range of polymers, complex topologies (tadpole, sun-shaped, jellyfish, etc.) and applications.