To improve the adsorption ability of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)], the macroporous poly(N, N-dimethylamino ethyl methacrylate) [poly(DMAEMA)] hydrogels were successfully fabricated by free-radical copolymerization in ethanol/water mixture using N, N-dimethylamino ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) as the monomer, N, N-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAA) as the cross-linker, and Na2SO4 solution as the porogen. The effects of various parameters, such as the concentration of Na2SO4 solutions, the dosage of MBAA, pH values, adsorption kinetic, and isotherm curves, were all investigated through systematic experiments. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was employed to characterize the various pore structures. The experimental results showed that the influence of Na2SO4 solution to the pore morphology in the matrix was significant. The poly(DMAEMA) hydrogels can effectively adsorb Cr(VI) ions in aqueous media, and the macroporous structures could obvious improve the response rate and adsorption capacity. These results prove that the macroporous poly(DMAEMA) gels can be treated as a potential material for environmental pollution control. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013