Novel diblock and dihydrophilic ionic-nonionic copolymers, having phosphonic and carboxylic functions at the same carbon atom in the repeating units of the ionic block, were prepared. The addition of 2-diethylphosphono-ethyl acrylate (PC) to hydroxyl groups of the polyglycidol block of the poly(ethylene glycol)-b-polyglycidol block copolymer was followed by the dealkylation of phosphonic acid esters and the hydrolysis of carboxylic acid esters. The polymer was characterized by H-1, C-13, and P-31 NMR. The kinetics of the PC addition and the hydrolysis of the ethyl carboxylate function were also studied, and a simple bimolecular second-order reaction was established. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.