A copper-containing polymer was prepared by free radical polymerization of a copper(ii)â vinylbipyridyl complex with trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate. Hydrolysis of a phosphate monoester, 4-nitrophenyl phosphate, a diester, bis-4-nitrophenyl phosphate, and a triester, methyl parathion (O,O-dimethyl O-p-nitrophenyl phosphorothioate), in waterâ methanol (85â ¶15) at pHâ 8.1 was investigated and compared to the hydrolytic ability of the analogous monomeric copper complex. Using the Michaelisâ Menten formalism to characterize apparent catalytic constants, the rate of hydrolysis (kcat) for each phosphate ester substrate was found to be about an order of magnitude faster and the Km values up to two orders of magnitude lower for the polymeric catalysts compared to the homogeneous monomeric catalysts. The methyl parathion polymeric hydrolysis rate was 6.7â Ã â 10⁵ times faster than the uncatalyzed rate. Reasons for the enhanced catalytic activity, particularly at low substrate concentrations, are discussed.