Patent ID: 8268068

Claim:
A method comprising a step of complexing metal atoms with a compound comprising at least one polymeric chain, said polymeric chain incorporating phosphorus atoms and comprising identical or different repeated units, said units being represented by the following formula (I): wherein: X 3 represents: —O—[Si(R 1 R 2 )O]— with R 1 and R 2 being, independently of each other, a C 1 -C 30 alkyl or alkoxy group, or a C 5 -C 30 aryl group, a mono- or polyorganosilicate derived radical, or —N(R 3 )— with R 3 being —H, a C 1 -C 30 alkyl group, or a C 5 -C 30 aryl group, optionally substituted with —OH or —NH 2 , or at least one unit of general formula (I), and ═X 4 represents an electron pair, ═O, ═S, or ═NR 4 with R 4 representing a C 1 -C 30 alkyl group or a C 5 -C 30 aryl group.