Hydrophilic thermosensitive copolymer beads having phosphinic acid groups were prepared by suspension copolymerization of acryloyloxypropyl n-octylphosphinic acid (APPO), N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAAm), and tetraethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (4G). The thermosensitivity and the adsorption ability of the copolymer beads for metal ions beads were Studied. The APPO-NIPAAm-4G copolymer beads were obtained in a good yield by suspension copolymerization of monomers (APPO, NIPAAm, and 4G) dissolved in chloroform, in a saturated Na2SO4 aqueous solution in the presence of surfactant and MgCO3. The APPO-NIPAAm-4G copolymer beads had higher adsorption ability for lanthanide metal ions (Eu3+, Sm3+, Nd3+, or La3+) than for main transition metal ions (Cu2+, Ni2+, or Co2+). Furthermore, it was also found that the APPO-NIPAAm-4G copolymer beads had selective adsorption ability between lanthanide metal ions, and the order of adsorption ability for lanthanide metal ions was as follows: Eu3+ > Sm3+ > Nd3+ > La3+. The selective adsorption for these metal ions from their mixed Solutions was performed by both a batch method and a Column method. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.