A novel approach to prepare cyclic polymers via a combination of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and atom transfer radical cross-coupling (ATRC) is presented. A functional ATRP initiator possessing an alkoxyamine group was synthesized and used to prepare well-defined linear telechelic α-nitroxy, ω-bromo homo-and block copolymers via ATRP and subsequent thermal deprotection of the α-terminal nitroxide function. ...