Acrolein was polymerized in a polar solvent in the presence of terc-and sec-butyl lithium as initiators. Using a low monomer to initiator molar ratio and 1-h reaction time, cyclic structures were shown to be formed in the main chain of the resulting oligomers. The influence of different monomer to initiator molar ratios on molecular weight and on molecular weight distribution was investigated. Chain-transfer reactions toward the monomer resulted in lower molecular weights and narrower polydispersions as [M]/[I] increased. The influence of initiator type on the polymer molecular weight was also evaluated. FTIR analysis of the degradation products at different heating temperatures indicated that the oligomers structure is composed of aldehyde, ether, and vinyl functional groups. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, hic. J Appl Polym Sci 112: 1771-1779, 2009