The chelating membranes for adsorption of metal ions were prepared by the bonding of linear and branched polyethylenimines (LPEI and BPEI) on the glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) photografted porous polyethylene (pPE) (pPE-g-PGMA) films. The adsorption and desorption properties of LPEI and BPEI-bonded pPE-g-PGMA (LPEI-(pPE-g-PGMA) and (BPEI-(pPE-g-PGMA)) films to Cu2+ ions were investigated as a function of the grafted amount, amount of bonded PEI, molecular mass of PEI, pH value, and temperature. The amounts of LPEI and BPEI bonded to the pPE-g-PGMA films increased over the reaction time, and the bonding of LPEI and BPEl offered the water-absorptivity to the pPE-g-PGMA films. The amount of adsorbed Cu2+ ions at pH 5.0 had the maximum value at the grafted amount of 10 mmol/g for the (LDPEI-(pPE-gPGMA) and (BPEI-(pPE-g-PGMA) films with a constant amount of bonded PEI. The amount of adsorbed Cu2+ ions for the LPEI-(pPE-g-PGMA) films was higher than that for the BPEI-(pPE-g-PGMA) films. The amount of Cu2+ ions desorbed from the LPEI-(pPE-g-PGMA) and BPEI-(pPE-gPGMA) films increased with an increase in the HCl concentration. The quantities of Cu2+ ions of about 100% were desorbed in the aqueous HCl solutions of more than OAM for the LPEI-(pPE-g-PGMA) films and more than 0.05M for the BPEI-(pPE-g-PGMA) films. The amounts of adsorbed Cu2+ ions were almost the same in each adsorption process at pH 5.0. This indicates that the LPEI-(pPE-g-PGMA) and BPEI(pPE-g-PGMA) films can be applied to a repeatedly generative chelating membrane for adsorption and desorption of metal ions. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.