Anionic grafting onto divinylbenzene (DVB)-cross-linked polystyrene is described. Using commercially available chloromethylated DVB-cross-linked polystyrene, a lithiated diarylmethyl derivative was prepared by a substitution of the chloromethyl chloride group by phenyllithium, which was followed by an in situ deprotonation by excess phenyllithium. Protonation of this resin led to a neutral phenylmethyl derivative of the original polystyrene that could be deprotonated by n-butyllithium, sec-butyllithium, phenyllithium, or sodium naphthalenide to form an anionic resin that in turn reacts readily with monomers like tert-butyl acrylate or 4-vinylpyridine to form anionically grafted products. Quantitative conversion of the tert-butyl acrylate grafts into poly(acrylic acid) grafts via acidolysis and the application of these poly(acrylic acid) grafts as a precursor for a Pd(0) hydrogenation catalyst is also described.