Immobilized small-molecule inhibitors are suited for enrichment of biomolecules by affinity chromatography, as it is shown for metalloproteinases and an immobilizable derivative of the hydroxamate-type inhibitor marimastat. A new asymmetric synthesis of marimastat is presented that allows for site-specific attachment to a solid surface, e.g., a chromatography matrix or a surface plasmon resonance sensor chip. The latter technique is shown to be a valuable tool for the optimization of binding and elution conditons of biomolecules in affinity chromatography.