Polyacrylamides with 2-20 mol % divinyl benzene (DVB), N,N'-methylene-bisacrylamide (NNMBA), 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate (HDODA), and tetraethyleneglycol diacrylate (TTEGDA) crosslinking and without crosslinking were prepared by free radical solution polymerization. Amino functions were incorporated into these polymers by transamidation with excess ethylenediamine. The dye uptake of nonprotonated and protonated aminopolyacrylamides was followed by batch equilibration method towards Rose Bengal (RB), Methyl Orange (MO), Methyl Red (MR), and Methylene Blue (MB). RB uptake by the polyacrylamide-supported systems is higher than other dyes. Generally the dye uptake by the protonated systems is higher than the nonprotonated systems. To optimize the conditions of dye uptake, the effect of the concentration of RB solutions, temperature, and pH were followed. Kinetic studies showed that the uptake of RB by both nonprotonated and protonated crosslinked aminopolyacrylamides is a phase boundary process followed by three-dimensional diffusion. The extent of RB uptake by the various systems depends on the nature and degree of crosslinking, and the relative rigidity/flexibility of the polyacrylamide support. Thus, the dye uptake followed the order: linear > NNMBA- > DVB- > TTEGDA-> HDODA-crosslinked system. The dye uptake followed the same trend as the variation of amino capacity with degree of crosslinking in the respective crosslinked system. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.