Polyelectrolytes (PDDA, poly (diallydimethylammonium chloride)) functionalized mesoporous silica adsorbent (PDDA/MS) was prepared and characterized by N-2 adsorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and zeta potential. The PDDA/MS showed ordered pore structure and the surface charge was successfully converted from negative to positive by PDDA functionalization. The adsorption capability of the prepared adsorbents was evaluated using nine different dye solutions with positive, neutral and negative charges. For the comparison purpose, commercial silica (CS, Davisil) and granular activated carbon (GAC), which are conventionally used as adsorbents, were also treated by PDDA impregnation. The batch adsorption experiments showed that the PDDA/MS exhibited the highest selective adsorption capacity of negative acid dye dissolved in an aqueous solution. Taken together, the results of this work indicate that polyelectrolyte functionalization of the inorganic surface could be a simple and suitable method for the surface modified adsorbent and the PDDA/MS suggested in this study could be used for the effective removal of acid dye from aqueous solutions. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.