Novel ion-exchange resins bearing various kinds of polythiazaalkane moiety were prepared by using polystyrene and TOYOPEARL. which is composed of poly(vinyl alcohol), as matrixes. The adsorption of silver ion from aqueous solution was completed within 1 h by TOYOPEARL based resins, while that by polystyrene based resins was not accomplished for 24 h. All resins bearing polythiazaalkane moiety exhibited the selective adsorption for silver ion, and the efficiency of silver ion absorption was primarily governed by the number of sulfur atoms and the structures of polythiazaalkane moieties. The adsorption and the elution behavior of the TOYOPEARL based resin packed into columns for silver ion were examined in the flow system, and the highly selective enrichment of silver ion was observed using the resin with monothiazaalkane. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.