Significant structural effects of enol ether monomers were demonstrated in cationic alternating copolymerizations with benzaldehyde derivatives (BzAs). a-Methyl, b-methyl, b,b-dimethyl, and cyclic enol ethers were copolymerized with BzAs by the EtSO 3 H/GaCl 3 system with 1,4-dioxane in toluene at 278 C. b-Methyl and cyclic monomers, b-monosubstituted compounds, induced copolymerizations with BzAs, some of which were well controlled to yield alternating copolymers with controlled molecular weights (MWs) and narrow MW distributions. Conversely, an a-methyl vinyl ether (VE) did not copolymerize with BzAs at all, probably due to its high reactivity and unfavorable ketal linkage formations. In addition, a b,b-dimethyl VE underwent only cyclotrimerizations because of its larger steric repulsion. The product alternating copolymers, especially those with cyclic units, exhibited improved thermal properties compared to those with simple VEs units. Under appropriate conditions, the alternating copolymers selectively degraded into the corresponding cinnamaldehyde derivatives by acid hydrolysis.