A novel lead ion‐imprinted chelating nanofiber: Preparation,characterization, and performance evaluation

A novel Pb(II) ion‐imprinted chelating nanofibers (nIIP), synthesized by combining electrospinning with surface ion imprinting technique, was reported in this study. nIIP was characterized with Fourier transmission infrared spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The performance of nIIP for Pb(II) sorption was conducted through a batch adsorption experiments. Experimental data showed that adsorption capacity of nIIP was much higher than that of non‐ion imprinted chelating acrylic microfibers (mNIP) derived from commercial available acrylic microfibers, and adsorption behaviors agreed well with pseudo‐second‐order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm model. The values of Gibbs free energy change derived from experimental data suggested that the adsorption Pb(II) on nIIP is spontaneous and favorable at high temperature. In addition, nIIP had the highest selectivity among three tested fibrous adsorbents for Pb(II) from binary metal solution, the selectivity coefficients for Pb(II) from binary metal solution of Pb(II)/Cu(II), Pb(II)/Ni(II), and Pb(II)/Cd(II) onto nIIP were 47, 101, and 162, respectively. Besides, a forty adsorption/desorption cycles revealed that nIIP was a promising recyclable adsorbent. In conclusion, the novel nIIP is a highly effective adsorbent for enrichment and separation of Pb(II) in the presence of competitive ions in aqueous solution, and it is potential to be applied for recovering metals from heavy metal polluted industrial wastewater such as Pb(II)/Cd(II), Pb(II)/Ni(II), and Pb(II)/Cu(II) polluted wastewater. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41507.     

氨基化PGMA对高氯体系中Pb（Ⅱ）吸附性能研究

通过改进的分散聚合法制备了聚合物微球PGMA,并对其氨基化,制备了单分散的PGMA-NH2高分子微球,用于对高氯体系中少量Pb（II）的吸附,考察了酸度、平衡浓度、时间、温度、吸附剂用量以及Cl-浓度等因素对吸附性能的影响,并对吸附等温线和动力学数据采用相应的模型进行拟合。研究发现,吸附等温线符合Freundlich模型,吸附动力学数据与准二级动力学模型拟合较好。高分子微球PGMA-NH2对高氯体系中少量Pb（II）的吸附容量远高于常规的市售阴离子商业树脂D201和D318,因此,该聚合物微球可用于从高氯废水中吸附少量Pb（II）。     

Kinetic and equilibrium modeling of liquid‐phase adsorption of lead and lead chelates on activated carbons

The sawdust (SD) waste generated in the timber industry was converted to a low‐cost activated carbon (SDAC) using a simpler and cheaper activation process, single‐step steam pyrolysis activation. The possibility of utilizing SDAC for the removal of lead (Pb(II)) in the absence of ligands and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) chelated Pb(II) complexes from the liquid phase was examined and the results were compared with those for commercial activated carbon (CAC). SDAC shows a high adsorption capacity for Pb(II) and Pb(II) chelates compared with CAC. The extent of adsorption of Pb(II) and Pb(II) chelates on activated carbons was found to be a function of solution pH and species distribution of Pb(II) and Pb(II) chelates. The optimum pH range for the removal of Pb(II) in the absence of ligands by SDAC was 6.5–8.0, whereas its maximum removal by CAC was observed at pH 6.5. In the presence of ligands, the extent of Pb(II) adsorption was enhanced in the pH range 2.0–5.0 and was reduced significantly in the pH range 6.0–8.0. The maximum uptake of Pb(II) chelates for both carbons was observed at pH 5.0. Kinetic models such as pseudo‐first‐order, pseudo‐second‐order and pore diffusion were tested to investigate the adsorption mechanism. Batch kinetic studies showed that the adsorption of Pb(II) from aqueous solutions with and without ligands could be best described by a psuedo‐first‐order model for both carbons. The effect of pH on the adsorption isotherms of Pb(II) and Pb(II) chelates was also investigated. The applicability of the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, established for various initial concentrations of the adsorbate and for different pH values, was tested at 30 °C. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Facile preparation of EDTA‐functionalized chitosan magnetic adsorbent for removal of Pb(II)

A novel magnetic adsorbent (EDTA /chitosan/ PMMS) was facilely prepared by reacting chitosan with EDTA anhydride in presence of PEI ‐ coated magnetic microspheres. The as‐synthesized EDTA/ chitosan /PMMS was characterized by XRD, SEM, TGA, FT‐IR , and VSM, and then employed in removal of heavy metals of Pb(II) from aqueous solution. The results of the batch adsorption experiments revealed that the adsorbents had extremely high uptake capacities for Pb(II) in the pH range of 2 to 5.5, and the adsorption kinetics for EDTA/ chitosan /PMMS was consistent with the pseudo – second ‐ order kinetic model. Moreover, its equilibrium data were fitted with the Langmuir isothermal model well, which indicated that the adsorption mechanism was a homogeneous monolayer chemisorptions process. The maximum adsorption capacity of EDTA/ chitosan /PMMS for Pb(II) was found to be 210 mg g ^{? 1} at pH 4 (30 ° C), and further reuse experiments results suggested that EDTA /chitosan/ PMMS could be a potential recyclable magnetic adsorbent in the practical wastewater treatment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42384.     

Adsorption characterization of lead(II) and cadmium(II) on crosslinked carboxymethyl starch

The adsorption of Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions with crosslinked carboxymethyl starch (CCS) was investigated as function of the solution pH, contact time, initial metal‐ion concentration, and temperature. Isotherm studies revealed that the adsorption of metal ions onto CCS better followed the Langmuir isotherm and the Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm with adsorption maximum capacities of about 80.0 and 47.0 mg/g for Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions, respectively. The mean free energies of adsorption were found to be between 8 and 16 kJ/mol for Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions; this suggested that the adsorption of Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions onto CCS occurred with an ion‐exchange process. For two‐target heavy‐metal ion adsorption, a pseudo‐second‐order model and intraparticle diffusion seem significant in the rate‐controlling step, but the pseudo‐second‐order chemical reaction kinetics provide the best correlation for the experimental data. The enthalpy change for the process was found to be exothermic, and the ΔS^θ values were calculated to be negative for the adsorption of Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions onto CCS. Negative free enthalpy change values indicated that the adsorption process was feasible. The studies of the kinetics, isotherm, and thermodynamics indicated that the adsorption of CCS was more effective for Pb(II) ions than for Cd(II) ions. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Enhanced adsorption and recovery of Pb(II) from aqueous solution by alkali‐treated persimmon fallen leaves

Persimmon fallen leaves were employed to prepare a renewable and low‐cost biosorbent named as NPFL. Effects of initial pH, contact time, initial Pb(II) concentration, coexisting metal ions, and ionic strength on adsorption of Pb(II) from aqueous solution by NPFL were studied in detail. Enhanced removal capacity of NPFL toward Pb(II) was observed, and the maximum adsorption capacity was evaluated as 256 mg g^?1 by Langmuir modeling calculation. The fast adsorption process and the well‐fitted kinetics data with pseudo‐second‐order model indicated that chemisorption is the main rate‐limiting step for the adsorption process. NPFL had superior adsorption selectivity for Pb(II) from aqueous solution with coexisting metal ions. Characterization of NPFL and adsorption mechanism (electrostatic attraction, ion exchange, and chelation) were performed using XRD, SEM‐EDS, FT‐IR, XPS, and TGA. The results suggested that NPFL could be utilized as a potential candidate for the preconcentration of Pb(II) recovery and its removal in practice. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43656.     

Investigation of adsorption of lead,mercury and nickel from aqueous solutions onto carbon aerogel

Recently a new form of activated carbon has appeared: carbon aerogel (CA). Its use for the removal of inorganic (and especially metal ions) has not been studied. In the present study, the adsorption of three metal ions, Hg(II), Pb(II) and Ni(II), onto carbon aerogel has been investigated. Batch experiments were carried out to assess adsorption equilibria and kinetic behaviour of heavy metal ions by varying parameters such as agitation time, metal ions' concentration, adsorbent dose and pH. They facilitated the computation of kinetic parameters and maximum metal ion adsorption capacities. Increasing the initial solution pH (2–10) and carbon concentration (50–500 mg per 50 cm³) increases the removal of all three metal ions. A decrease of equilibrium pH with an increase of metal ion concentration led us to propose an adsorption mechanism by ion exchange between metal cations and H⁺ at the carbon aerogel surface. Carboxylic groups are especially involved in this adsorption mechanism. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were used to analyse the experimental data of carbon aerogel. The thermodynamics of the metal adsorption was also investigated for the practical implementation of the adsorbent. The sorption showed significant increase with increase of temperature. Kinetics models describing the adsorption of Hg(II), Pb(II) and Ni(II) ions onto carbon aerogel have been compared. Kinetics models evaluated include the pseudo‐first order and second order model. The parameters of the adsorption rate constants have been determined and the effectiveness of each model assessed. The result obtained showed that the pseudo‐second order kinetic model correlated well with the experimental data and better than the pseudo‐first order model examined in the study. Mass transfer coefficients obtained can be useful in designing wastewater treatment systems or in the development of environmental technologies. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Behaviour and mechanism of Zn(II) adsorption on Chinese loess at dilute slurry concentrations

BACKGROUND: Zn(II) is commonly present in mining drainage in developing countries. Since loess is abundant and always located near mining sites in China, it would be useful to investigate the possibility and efficiency of using loess to remove Zn(II) from aqueous solution. RESULTS: The Zn(II) adsorption capacity of Chinese loess was determined as 215.9 mg g^?1. The adsorption followed pseudo‐second‐order kinetics and took place mainly by surface diffusion. Generally, higher initial pH and solute concentration resulted in higher % Zn(II) removal, while higher temperature and slurry concentration led to lower % Zn(II) removal. A thermodynamic study revealed that the adsorption process was exothermic, with the predicted enthalpy change ranging from ?20.87 to ?4.06 kJ mol^?1. With the assistance of X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction, the high adsorption capacity was ascribed to the growth of micro‐organisms and mineral constituents such as kaolinite and goethite. CONCLUSION: Chinese loess proved effective for Zn(II) adsorption in this study. The optimal adsorption conditions included pH > 3.0, temperature ?15 °C and contact time ≈ 400 min. As an abundant natural soil in arid areas with very low population density, it would be appropriate to develop this material into a wastewater‐purifying agent. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

A novel agricultural waste based adsorbent for the removal of Pb(II) from aqueous solution: Kinetics,equilibrium and thermodynamic studies

Fig sawdust was used as a precursor for the production of activated carbon by chemical activation with H₃PO₄. The developed Fig sawdust activated carbon (FSAC) was used as a biosorbent for the removal of Pb(II) from aqueous solution. Highest adsorption of Pb(II) (95.8%) was found at pH 4. Equilibrium data fitted very well with the Langmuir isotherm model. Maximum adsorption capacity was determined 80.645 mg g⁻¹ at pH 4. Kinetic studies demonstrated that the adsorption followed a pseudo second order kinetics model. The negative value of ΔG° confirmed the feasibility and spontaneity of FSAC for Pb(II) adsorption.     

Synthesis and characterization of polyacrylamide‐grafted coconut coir pith having carboxylate functional group and adsorption ability for heavy metal ions

The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of a new adsorbent prepared from coconut coir pith (CP), a coir industry‐based lignocellulosic residue in removing metal ions from aqueous solutions. The adsorbent (PGCP‐COOH) having a carboxylate functional group at the chain end was prepared by grafting polyacrylamide onto CP using potassium peroxydisulphate as an initiator and in the presence of N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide as a crosslinking agent. The adsorbent was characterized by infrared (IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetry (TG), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and potentiometric titration. The adsorbent exhibits very high adsorption potential for the removal of Pb(II), Hg(II), and Cd(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The optimum pH range for metal ion removal was found to be 6.0–8.0. The adsorption process follows a pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model. The adsorption capacities for Hg(II), Pb(II), and Cd(II) calculated using the Langmuir isotherm equation were 254.52, 189.49, and 63.72 mg g^?1, respectively. Adsorption isotherm experiments were also conducted for comparison with a commercial carboxylate form cation exchanger. Different industry wastewater samples were treated by the PGCP‐COOH to demonstrate its efficiency in removing heavy metals from wastewater. The reusability of the PGCP‐COOH was also demonstrated using 0.2M HCl. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 3670–3681, 2007     

Preparation and characterization of porous chitosan–tripolyphosphate beads for copper(II) ion adsorption

Porous chitosan–tripolyphosphate beads, prepared by the ionotropic crosslinking and freeze‐drying, were used for the adsorption of Cu(II) ion from aqueous solution. Batch studies, investigating bead adsorption capacity and adsorption isotherm for the Cu(II) ion, indicated that the Cu(II) ion adsorption equilibrium correlated well with Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum capacity for the adsorption of Cu(II) ion onto porous chitosan–tripolyphosphate beads, deduced from the use of the Langmuir isotherm equation, was 208.3 mg/g. The kinetics data were analyzed by pseudo‐first, pseudo‐second order kinetic, and intraparticle diffusion models. The experimental data fitted the pseudo‐second order kinetic model well, indicating that chemical sorption is the rate‐limiting step. The negative Gibbs free energy of adsorption indicated a spontaneous adsorption, while the positive enthalpy change indicated an endothermic adsorption process. This study explored the adsorption of Cu(II) ion onto porous chitosan–tripolyphosphate beads, and used SEM/EDS, TGA, and XRD to examine the properties of adsorbent. The use of porous chitosan–tripolyphosphate beads to adsorb Cu(II) ion produced better and faster results than were obtained for nonporous chitosan–tripolyphosphate beads. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Application of polyaniline nanolayer composite for removal of tartrazine dye from aqueous solutions

In this research, polyaniline was synthesized chemically onto the surface of sawdust as a thin layer (termed as PAni/SD) and was then used for removal of tartrazine dye (a typical anionic azo dye) from aqueous solutions. Ammonium peroxodisulphate was used as chemical oxidant for polymerization of polyaniline directly on the surface of sawdust. The procedure involves sorption experiments were performed on both batch and column systems. The effects of some important parameters such as pH, initial concentration, sorbent dosage, exposure time and temperature on uptake of tartrazine dye were investigated. Adsorption studies have shown that pH of the tartrazine solution has influence on the dye removal capacity of PAni/SD. It was found that effective dye removal is occurred under neutral or acidic conditions. The treatments of the data were carried out using both Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherms. Sorption/desorption studies showed that PAni/SD was fast, simple, inexpensive, highly efficient and potential re-usable adsorbent to remove tartrazine from aqueous solutions. Based on our kinetics and thermodynamic studies, it was found that sorption process was endothermic (ΔH > 0) and the experimental data fitted very well with pseudo second-order kinetic model.     

改性纤维素微球的制备及其对Pb2＋吸附性能的研究

利用绿色环保的碱／尿素／水溶剂体系直接制备纤维素溶液共混聚乙烯亚胺（PEI）,然后通过高压静电法制备再生纤维素微球,并与戊二醛交联固定化,制备了复合型吸附材料。借助吸附动力学和吸附等温方程研究了改性纤维素微球对Pb2＋的吸附性能,结果表明改性纤维素微球对Pb2＋具有较好的吸附容量达到9．46mg／g,相比空白微球提高50％以上,并且吸附过程符合准二级动力学方程和Freundlich等温方程。     

Polymer‐grafted banana (Musa paradisiaca) stalk as an adsorbent for the removal of lead(II) and cadmium(II) ions from aqueous solutions: kinetic and equilibrium studies

This study examined the effectiveness of a new adsorbent prepared from banana (Musa paradisiaca) stalk, one of the abundantly available lignocellulosic agrowastes, in removing Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The adsorbent (PGBS‐COOH) having a carboxylate functional group at its chain end was synthesized by graft copolymerization of acrylamide on to banana stalk, followed by functionalization. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out as a function of solution pH, ionic strength, contact time, metal concentration, adsorbent dose and temperature. A pH range of 5.5–8.0 was found to be effective for the maximum removal for both Pb(II) and Cd(II). Metal uptake was found to decrease with increase in ionic strength due to the expansion of the diffuse double layer and, more importantly, the formation of some chloro complexes (since NaCl was used in the adjustment of ionic strength), which do not appear to be adsorbed to the same extent as cations [M²⁺ and M(OH)⁺]. The kinetic studies showed that an equilibrium time of 3 h was needed for the adsorption of Pb(II) and Cd(II) on PGBS‐COOH and adsorption processes followed a pseudo‐second‐order equation. The Langmuir isotherm model fitted the experimental equilibrium data well. The maximum sorption capacity for Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions was 185.34 and 65.88 mg g^?1, respectively, at 30 °C. The thermodynamic parameters such as changes in free energy (ΔG°), enthalpy (ΔH°) and entropy (ΔS°) were derived to predict the nature of adsorption. The isosteric heat of adsorption was found to be independent of surface coverage. Adsorption experiments were also conducted using a commercial cation exchanger, Ceralite IRC‐50, for comparison. Synthetic wastewater samples were treated with the adsorbent to demonstrate its efficiency in removing Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions from industrial wastewaters. Acid regeneration was tried for several cycles with a view to recovering the sorbed metal ions and also restoring the sorbent to its original state. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Optimization of kinetic data for two‐stage batch adsorption of Pb(II) ions onto tripolyphosphate‐modified kaolinite clay

BACKGROUND: Most adsorption studies consider only the adsorption of pollutants onto low cost adsorbents without considering how equilibrium and kinetic data can be optimized for the proper design of adsorption systems. This study considers the optimization of kinetic data obtained for the removal of Pb(II) from aqueous solution by a tripolyphosphate modified kaolinite clay adsorbent. RESULTS: Modification of kaolinite clay with pentasodium tripolyphosphate increases its cation adsorption capacity (CEC) and specific surface area (SSA) from 7.81 to 78.9 meq (100 g)^?1 and 10.56 to 13.2 m² g^?1 respectively. X‐ray diffraction patterns for both unmodified and tripolyphosphate‐modified kaolinite clay suggest the modification is effective on the surface of the clay mineral. Kinetic data from the batch adsorption of Pb(II) onto the tripolyphosphate‐modified kaolinite clay adsorbent were optimized to a two‐stage batch adsorption of Pb(II) using the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model. Mathematical model equations were developed to predict the minimum operating time for the adsorption of Pb(II). Results obtained suggest that increasing temperature and decreasing percentage Pb(II) removal by the adsorbent enhanced operating time of the adsorption process. The use of two‐stage batch adsorption reduces contact time to 6.7 min from 300 min in the single‐stage batch adsorption process for the adsorption of 2.5 m³ of 500 mg L^?1 Pb(II) under the same operating conditions. CONCLUSION: Results show the potential of a tripolyphosphate‐modified kaolinite clay for the adsorption of Pb(II) from aqueous solution and the improved efficiency of a two‐stage batch adsorption process for the adsorption of Pb(II) even at increased temperature. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Adsorptive potential of Acacia nilotica based adsorbent for chromium(VI) from an aqueous phase

The objective of this research was to enhance adsorption capacity of Acacia nilotica (keekar) sawdust for the abatement of chromium bearing wastewater and to investigate the effect of process parameters on adsorption capacity. The sawdust was activated by acid wash and functionalized subsequently with formaldehyde. Functionalization of activated sawdust raised its chromium removal efficiency of almost 10% as compared to its adsorption removal efficiency of HCl treated sawdust in a batch adsorption study. Adsorption kinetic data provided better fitting with pseudo second order model. Maximum adsorption capacity calculated through the best fitting Langmuir model was 6.34 mg·g^-1 and 8.2 mg·g^-1 for HCl treated and formaldehyde functionalized sawdust adsorbents, respectively. The adsorption of Cr(VI) was endothermic when studied by varying temperature from 20℃ to 50℃ for both activated and functionalized adsorbents.     

PBMA/GMA-SiO2吸附剂的制备及其高效去除铅离子

以甲基丙烯酸丁酯(BMA)和甲基丙烯酸缩水甘油酯(GMA)功能化的纳米SiO2为单体,通过可逆加成-断裂链转移自由基聚合(RAFT)法制备了PBMA/GMA-SiO2有机/无机复合吸附材料,并将其用于吸附含Pb2+的水溶液。考察了吸附时间、温度、pH以及Pb2+初始质量浓度对吸附效果的影响,并对其吸附动力学和热力学特性进行了探讨。结果表明,PBMA/GMA-SiO2对Pb2+具有良好的吸附性能,其对Pb2+的饱和吸附量为423.84mg/g,吸附最佳pH=5~6,平衡时间为1 h,去除率随Pb2+初始质量浓度的减小而增加。优化实验条件下,50 mg吸附剂在298 K时,对pH=6的50 mL 0.02 g/L含Pb2+溶液的去除率高达100%。热力学和动力学过程模拟结果表明,吸附的动力学过程比较符合准二级动力学速率方程,Langmuir等温方程比Freundlich等温方程更适合于描述此吸附行为。颗粒内扩散过程是吸附速率的控制步骤,但不是唯一的速率控制步骤。吸附剂经过5次脱附、吸附后,依然具有较强吸附Pb2+的能力。     

活化氧化石墨烯的制备及对甲基橙的吸附

为了提高氧化石墨烯(GO)的比表面积和吸附性能,采用氢氧化钾对GO进行高温固相活化,制备出活化氧化石墨烯(GOKOH),并将其用于对水中阴离子染料甲基橙(MO)的吸附研究。结果表明,GOKOH的比表面积可达672.48 m2/g。GOKOH能在较宽的p H范围内实现对MO的高效去除,去除率高达94.87%,吸附平衡时间约为150 min。准一级和准二级动力学拟合的理论平衡吸附容量分别为549.87 mg/g和549.45 mg/g,Langmuir模型的饱和吸附容量为632.91 mg/g。该吸附过程受边界层扩散与颗粒内扩散两个步骤控制,符合二级动力学模型和Langmuir模型,并主要以化学吸附为主。     

Sorption of Zn(II) and Pb(II) ions in the presence of the biodegradable complexing agent of a new generation

The macroporous chelating ion exchangers containing different functional groups i.e. Purolite S-920, Purolite S-930 and Lewatit TP-208 have been used in the sorption process of Zn(II) and Pb(II) ions. The effect of the presence of biodegradable, environmentally friendly aminopolycarboxylate chelating agent, trisodium salt of methylglycinediacetic acid (MGDA) on its sorption capacity was also examined. The investigations were carried out by the static method. Besides the effect of initial concentration of Zn(II) and Pb(II) and the complexing agent the research concerns the influence of solution pH, phase contact time on effectiveness of sorption. The equilibrium and kinetics of Zn(II)–MGDA and Pb(II)–MGDA complexes sorption were obtained and fitted using the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin–Radushkevich (D–R) models as well as the pseudo first and pseudo second order kinetic models. The intraparticle diffusion model was also used. The results showed that the sorption processes of Zn(II) and Pb(II) complexes with MGDA on Purolite S-920, Purolite S-930 and Lewatit TP-208 followed well the pseudo second order kinetics.     

Specific heavy metal ion recovery with ion‐imprinted cryogels

In this study, the functional monomers, N‐methacryloyl‐l ‐aspartic acid and N‐methacryloyl‐l ‐cysteine were synthesized through a reaction between appropriate amino acids and methacryloyl chloride. Then, Pb(II) or Cd(II) ion‐imprinted 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate based cryogels were prepared by free radical polymerization method under partially frozen conditions. Following the characterization of matrices, adsorption of heavy metal ions was examined in batch mode from aqueous solution considering several parameters affecting the adsorption performance. The actual adsorption capacities were 44.5, 65.3, and 86.7 mg/g for Cd‐1, Cd‐2, and Cd‐3 cryogels meanwhile those were 41.9, 86.3, and 122.7 mg/g for Pb‐1, Pb‐2, and Pb‐3 cryogels, respectively at optimum pH: 5.5. By increasing temperature, adsorption capabilities of both cryogels were inhibited because of the electrostatic nature of coordinated covalent bonds and collapsing of coordination spheres. The adsorption process was very fast, the equilibrium adsorption was achieved in about 60 min, which was directly related to macroporous structure and interconnected flow‐channels of cryogels. Kinetics and adsorption isotherms were also studied. Langmuir isotherms and pseudo‐second order kinetic model were well suited to adsorption data, which also indicated that the process occurred without any diffusion restrictions or steric hindrances. Finally, the competitive adsorption studies were performed using multi‐ion containing synthetic wastewater to show whether the cryogels developed are suitable for specific heavy metal recycling or not. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43095.