Three methacryloyl hydroxamic acids were prepared and homopolymerized yielding polymers which readily formed complexes with Fe3+. The amount of hydroxamic acid available for complexation was found to be low (29-32% of theoretical). Copolymers of methacryloyl hydroxamic acid with methyl methacrylate were also synthesized. The low amount of free hydroxamic acid functionality in the copolymers was ascribed to transfer reactions in the radical polymerization which resulted in branching and deactivation of the hydroxamic acid functionality. In addition, methacryloyl hydroxamic acid was copolymerized with N-isopropyl acrylamide to yield thermotropic polymers capable of complexing with metal ions. At low concentrations of hydroxamic acid functionality, the lower critical solution temperature of the copolymers remained similar to that reported for poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide).