Phosphorus (P) is a crucial, limited resource responsible for sustaining food supply globally. However, P-discharge from agricultural runoff and wastewater treatment plant into water bodies contributes to eutrophication and the proliferation of harmful algal blooms, substantially threatening aquatic ecosystems. Several studies have demonstrated that metal-cation-containing materials like metal oxides, hydroxides and carbonates show great potential for P-capture and are emerging as a noteworthy category suitable for commercial and industrial applications in P-recovery. In this systematic study, we investigate the P-capture performance of several metal-cation-containing materials containing Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, La, and Zn. To evaluate the rate and extent of P-capture, batch immersion experiments were conducted using these materials in synthetic phosphate (PO43-) containing solution with and without the presence of competing ions found in natural water systems. Molybdovanadate method was used to account for P left in solution after immersion while the concentrations of captured P were determined through mass balance. X-ray diffraction was used to characterize the materials before and after contact with P solutions to examine the mechanism of P-capture. Additionally, batch desorption was performed using NaOH to assess the potential for P-recovery for each material. We find that materials containing La and Zn show exceptional potential for P-capture via their dissolution-precipitation mechanism of binding to P to form metal-phosphate complexes, however P can efficiently be recovered from Al- and Zn-containing materials. This research is essential for establishing the groundwork necessary to design safe, sustainable, and high-performance materials for capturing phosphorus with informed decision-making.