The adsorption of Co2+. Ni2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ onto amorphous hydrous manganese dioxide (delta-MnO2) has been studied using two methods, viz., isotherms at constant pH in the presence of buffer solution and pH variation in the absence of buffer solution from a fixed metal ion concentration. While the adsorption isotherm experiments were carried out in 0.5 M NaCl only, pH variation or batch titration experiments were carried out in 0.5 M NaCl, 0.01 M NaCl, and 0.01 M KNO3 solutions. The complex nature of adsorption isotherms at constant pH values indicates that adsorption of all the cations is non-Langmuirian (Freundlich) and takes place on the highly heterogeneous oxide surface with different binding energies. The proton stoichiometry derived from isotherms at two close pH values varies between 0.3 and 0.8. The variation of fractional adsorption with pH indicates that the background electrolyte solution influences he adsorption of cations through either metal-like or ligand-like complexes with Cl-, the former showing a low adsorption tendency. The proton stoichiometry values derived from the Kurbatov-type plot varies not only with the electrolyte solution but also with the adsorbate/adsorbent ratio. The variation of fractional adsorption with pH can be modeled either with the formation of the SOM+ type or with a combination of SOM+ and SOMOH type complexes, depending upon the cation and electrolyte medium. The equilibrium constants obtained from Kurbatov-type plots are found to be most suitable in these model calculations. Adsorption calculated on the basis of ternary surface metal-chlorocomplex formation exhibits very low values. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.