A variety of phenolic aryl-1,2- and 1,3-diols have been condensed with formaldehyde to form polymers serving as immobilized chelatants for borate anions. In this way, polymers from 1,2-dihydroxybenzene, 2-hydroxymethylphenol, and a 3-methyl derivative (saligenins) and 2(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propane-1,3-diol have been converted into formaldehyde polymers with an increasing level of conformational mobility in the diol moiety of the polymer. The extraction of borate from alkaline solutions with three types of polymers has been examined, and the polymer containing planar 1,2-dihydroxybenzene has been found to be superior to a saligenin- and 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane-1,3-diol-derived polymer. This suggests that conformational mobility is not an important structural feature. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.