Immobilization of Co(III)(salen) complexes onto a gel-type 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate resin was carried out. The possibilities of the stepwise construction and the direct building in salen ligands onto the resin were examined. High loaded polymer-bound Co(III)(salen) complexes were obtained as a result. The polymer-supported complexes were tested as recyclable catalysts in the reaction of carboxylic acids addition to epichlorohydrin. The differences in the catalytic activity of the complexes depending on the route of salen immobilization onto the polymer matrix were observed. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.