Depending on the location of the catenane structures in the polymer chain, the polycatenanes can be divided into main-chain polycatenanes and side-chain polycatenanes.
Main-chain polycatenanes are linear catenanes in which the rings are interlocked with one another in a large number of units. They can also be a series of oligomers linked physically even if not interlocked together. The stability of the structure is not only given by mechanical bonds but also hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions between the rings.
On the other hand, the Side-Chain Polycatenanes, are polycatenanes with ramifications where more oligomers are connected on the same cycle with respect to the main backbone. This type of catenane is synthesised functionalizing the macrocycles so that there is a directionality with the possibility to control the ramification.
There are other types of polycatenanes like the ones based on cyclic polymers, where the macrocyles are interlocked to the cyclic polymers, or the polycatenane networks, when catenanes are interlocked to each other into a net.