In this study, an efficient adsorbent was synthesized by successfully anchoring N-methylimidazole on activated palygorskite and which was then used to investigate the adsorption behavior of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The FT-IR, thermal analyses and SEM were done to observe the immobilization of N-methylimidazole onto activated palygorskite. The effects of adsorbent dose. pH, contact time, ionic strength and temperature on the adsorption were investigated. The maximum adsorption capacity is 714.29 mg g(-1) at 283 K. The kinetic study indicates that the adsorption is a pseudo-second-order process. The adsorption was well fitted by the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.