A tailor-made catalytically active polymer catalyzing the bimolecular Diels-Alder reaction is described. Kinetic studies carried out in acetonitrile at 82 degrees C show a 270-fold rate acceleration (k(cat)/k(uncat)) for the Diels-Alder reaction between tetrachlorothiophene dioxide and maleic anhydride. The imprinted polymer induces Michaelis-Menten kinetics, with an apparent K-m of 42.5 mM acid an apparent k(cat) of 3.82 x 10(-2) min(-1), respectively. Substrate selectivity, accessible binding site analysis, dissociation constant determination, and inhibition study were also performed.