Abstract Crosslinked polymer beads containing regions of acidic and basic groups are the preferred structures for the efficient operation of a thermally regenerable ion-exchange process. Such systems can be prepared by various methods. Here the approach of using polymers and copolymers containing photo-labile groups as grafting sites is described. The polymers studied were polytriallylamine hydrochloride (polyTAA) and copolymers of propyldiallylamine hydrochloride (PDAA) and allyl benzoin methyl ether (ABME), of ABME and acrylic acid (AA), and of ABME and methyl acrylate (MA). The maximum amount of photografting of MA onto polyTAA was 12%. Very little photografting of MA onto PDAA:ABME copolymers was obtained. Photografting of TAA to AA:ABME and to MA:ABME copolymers occurred readily by using radiation of 360 nm wavelength, with the best yields of photografted polymer being about 60% when a MA:ABME copolymer was irradiated in a suspension. The effect of suspending medium, stirring rate, irradiation time, ...