Sporopollenin, a natural polymer, has been modified for application as a ligand-exchange material. The ligand-exchange chromatography with the functionalized Lycopodium clavatum is a useful method for the rapid separation of nucleosides and nucleic acid bases. The synthesis of tris(carboxymethyl) ethylene diamine Lycopodium clavatum has been described. The resin contained functional diaminoethane and carboxyl groups. Nickel(II) and cobalt(II) metal ions can easily be immobilized on this carboxylated-diamino-ethyl (CDAE)-sporopollenin. Physicochemical and chelating properties of Lycopodium clavatum have been studied extensively. Ligand-exchange chromatography of CDAE-sporopollenin has also been compared to the conventional synthetic chelex-100 resin. The kinetics of cytidine in CDAE-sporopollenin resin has been investigated. The rate measurements have been made by a potentiometric technique. The relative rates at which nucleosides bind to the resin are determined by the actual chemical-exchange reaction between ligands and resin.