Polyacrylonitrile-2-amino-2-thiazoline resin (PAN-ATAL) was synthesized from macroporous type crosslinked polyacrylonitrile and 2-amino-2-thiazoline. The functional group capacity and percentage conversion of functional group of PAN-ATAL prepared under the optimum condition were 2.002 mmol FG/g and 15.90%, respectively. The structure of PAN-ATAL was confirmed by elemental analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The sorption capacities of PAN-ATAL for Rh(111), Ru(W), Ir(IV) and Pd(H) were 72.07, 137.6, 147.1 and 230.7 mg/g resin, respectively. PAN-ATAL resin has excellent sorption selectivity for Pd(11) and Rh(III) in the presence of common metal ions over a wide acidity range. The sorption rate constants of PAN-ATAL resin for Rh(III) and Ir(W) were determined. The apparent sorption activation energy (E-a) of PAN-ATAL for Ru(IV) and Ir(W) was 58.8 +/- 0.6 U mol(-1) and 65.9 +/- 0.9 U mol(-1), respectively. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.