Cyclic Polymers: From Scientific Curiosity to Advanced Materials for Gene Delivery and Surface Modification.

Cyclic versus linear: The superiority of cyclic polymers over their linear counterparts is highlighted. Cyclic poly(2-oxazoline)s have been shown to provide excellent shielding properties when grafted to TiO2 surfaces and Fe3 O4 nanoparticles owing to their ultrahigh grafting densities leading to low friction surfaces, superior antifouling properties, and extreme nanoparticle stabilization.