Abstract: Crosslinked polymeric sorbents with macromolecular arrangement favorable for sorption of copper ions have been obtained obtained on the base of copolymer of diethyl ester of vinylphosphonic acid with acrylic acid. The general principle involves interaction of linear polymer and sorbing ions in solution where the segments of the macromolecules are still mobile enough, subsequent fixation of optimal ion uptake conformations of macromolecules by crosslinking of metal polymer complexes, and removal of ions from crosslinked sorbent. Such treatment increases the exchange capacity of the sorbents more than twice and improves essentially its kinetic characteristics in comparison with the same copolymer crosslinked by conventional methods without special arrangement of macromolecules. The rate of the uptake on the sorbents with macromolecular arrangement favorable for ion sorption first increases with increase in the degree of crosslinking and then decreases. Apparently the jise of the crosslinking degree leads to more rigid fixation of the optimum ion uptake conformations of the macromolecules' segments. Further increase of the crosslinking degree alongside with fixation prevents ions from diffusion into the sorbent.