The preparation and modification of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate/2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate copolymers [poly (EGDMA-co-HEMA)] were carried out to study their properties on Immobilized Metal Ion Affinity Chromatography (IMAC). For that purpose, the adsorption-desorption assays of a phosphoprotein, ovalbumin (OVA) on different ion-containing adsorbents were investigated. The metal ion-complexing agent used was iminodiacetic acid (IDA) and the metal ions chelated were Al3+ or Fe3+. The efficiency on both modification reactions and OVA retention was analysed taking into account the pore volumes (V-p) and specific surface area (Ss) values in macropores zones and equilibrium volume-swelling ratio (q(v)) from base matrices and final ion-containing supports. In general, Fe3+- containing products resulted more efficient adsorbents in the OVA retention and although the adsorption assays on Fe3+ or Al3+-containing supports were fast, the complete and faster OVA desorption was reached when Al3+-containing matrix was used. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.