Polycarbosilanes with or without sugar-derived structures in the polymer side chains were synthesized and their application to materials for cell cultivation was investigated. Polysilacyclobutanes having glucose-derived moieties or N-acetylglucosamine-derived moieties (polyBMSB-glucose and polyBMSB-AGA) were synthesized by ene-thiol reaction between precursor poly(1-(3-butenyl)-1-methylsilacyclubane)(polyBMSB) and tetraacetylglucose or tetraacetylglucosamine having a thiol group at the anomeric position and the successive deprotection of the acetyl groups gave polycarbosilanes with sugar-derived structures in the side chains. Poly(1-(3-hydroxybutyl)-1-methylsilacyclobutane) was synthesized by hydroboration/oxidation of the precursor polyBMSB. The cell cultivation efficiency using the polymers with or without sugar moieties was evaluated by cultivation of WRL cells on the polystyrene dishes coated with the polymers. (C) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.