The metal ion affinities of a ligand in a polymer-supported reagent can be enhanced by the presence of a proximate group capable of hydrogen bonding. A new polymer-supported reagent has been synthesized by immobilizing tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) onto cross-linked poly(vinylbenzyl chloride) and then phosphorylating the -OH moieties. The -NH- acts as the auxiliary group to increase the extent of complexation by the phosphate ligand. Additionally, Tris acts as a scaffold, wherein the phosphate ligands are in a known stereochemical arrangement. The Tris resin is mono-, di-, and triphosphorylated, depending on the concentration of the phosphorylating agent. The highest metal ion affinities are found with the resin having a phosphorus-to-nitrogen ratio of 2.36, consistent with one-third of the ligands being triphosphorylated and the remainder being diphosphorylated. The unphosphorylated Tris and phosphonate diester resins have no ionic affinities under the same conditions. Trivalent ions (Fe(III), Al(III), La(III), Eu(III), Lu(III)) are preferred over divalent ions (Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II), Zn(II)) from solutions at pH 2. The distribution coefficients of the divalent ions correlate with the Misono softness parameters, indicating that the polarizability of the phosphoryl oxygen is important to binding of the metal ions. The mechanism of complexation is probed with Fe(III) in 0.01-5 M HNO3 and HCl. The high affinities are ascribed to activation of the PO ligand toward metal ion binding by the N-H moieties acting as auxiliary groups, coupled with intraligand cooperation among the phosphate moieties at a given site. FTIR spectra show that the PO band at 1261 cm(-1) shifts as a function of the extent of hydrogen bonding. Binding at the PO requires a balance between activation by hydrogen bonding and availability of the lone pair electrons to the metal ions.