Novel ion-imprinted adsorbent on the basis of Fe3O4@SBA-15 was prepared and functionalized by diphenylcarbazide. Lead adsorption capacity of 124 mg g(-1) and good selectivity in the presence of Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, Co2+, Fe2+, Mn2+, Cd2+, Cu2+ and Hg2+ were obtained. Adsorption was fast and equilibration established within 5 min. Magnetization measurement indicated that the adsorbent was readily separated by use of an external magnetic field. Upon regeneration, the used adsorbent retained most of its initial capacity. Various isotherm models were studied, and Sum of Squares of Errors (SSE) and Average Relative Error were calculated. The data were best fitted to the Redlich-Peterson isotherm.