A series of monomers were prepared by reacting (meth)acryloyl chloride with 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone, 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, and 2,4-dihydroxyacetophenone, respectively. The monomers were polymerized in dimethylformamide (DMF) at 70degreesC using benzoyl peroxide as an initiator. Polymer-metal complexes were obtained from DMF solutions of polymers with an aqueous solution of metal ions. The polymers and polymer-metal complexes were characterized by elemental analysis and spectral studies. The IR spectra of these complexes suggest that the metals are coordinated through the oxygen of the carbonyl group and the oxygen of the phenolic-OH group. The electronic spectra, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra, and magnetic moments of polychelates showed an octahedral and square planar structure for Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes, respectively. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that polychelates are highly crystalline. The thermal and electrical properties, catalytic activity, and structure-property relationships are discussed. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.