Styrenic nanocomposite containing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has been synthesized by anchoring polymer molecules containing multiple functional groups onto the gold surface. p-Methylstyrene was first anionically polymerized and the resulting polymer was chlorinated with sodium hypochlorite in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst. The chlorinated poly(p-methylstyrene) was next reacted with methylthiomethyllithium, which had been prepared via a metalation reaction of dimethyl sulfide with n-butyllithium, to form a styrenic polymer containing thioether groups on the sides of the molecule. These thioether groups on the chain sides afforded more chemisorption sites per molecule to AuNPs. The nanocomposite was analyzed using NMR, TEM, LTV-VIS, TGA, and XPS. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.