SUMMARY: Vinylcyclopropanes are important synthetic intermediates in organic chemistry and are mostly synthesized by the simultaneous introduction of the cyclopropane and the vinyl unit, e. g., by the reaction of trans-1,4-dihalobutenes with b -dicarbonyl compounds or the addition of carbenes to dienes. The polymerization of vinylcyclopropane itself results in vinyl polymers with predominantly 1,2-structural units. The radical polymerization of substituted vinylcyclopropanes results in polymers with mainly 1,5-ring-opened units, whereby radical stabilizing substituents or electron-withdrawing groups increase the radical polymerizability and the ring-opening ability. The vinylcyclopropanes undergo a radical copolymerization with other vinyl monomers, such as methacrylates, and, in comparison to the polymerization of these linear vinyl monomers, the vinylcyclopropanes show a significantly lower volume shrinkage during ring-opening polymerization. Hybrid vinylcyclopropanes are polymerized step-by-step under formation of reactive polymers or polymer networks. Multifunctional cross-linking vinylcyclopropanes can be used as new low-shrinking matrix monomers for photopolymerizable materials. In addition, the sol-gel process of trialkoxysilyl-functionalized vinylcyclopropanes affords low shrinking organic-inorganic nanocomposites.