Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers, EVOH, with two different vinyl alcohol compositions have been functionalized with carboxylic acid groups by reaction with phthalic anhydride. Later on, the coupling reaction of three aminosaccharides (D-(+)-glucosamine, D-(+)-galactosamine, and D-(+)-mannosamine) to functionalized EVOH copolymers has been carried out in dimethyl sulfoxide at 70 degrees C to achieve water soluble glycopolymers. The structure of the resulting functionalized copolymers and the new glycopolymers was confirmed by H-1 and C-13 NMR. Likewise, the thermal behavior of glycopolymers has been performed by differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravimetric analysis. In addition, their affinity to lectins, specifically to Concanavalin A and Ricinus Communis Agglutinin, has been evaluated. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7238-7248, 2008