A heteropolyanion-based cross-linked ionic copolymer was prepared by the anion-exchange of a newly task-specific designed amino-containing ionic copolymer with a Keggin heteropolyacid, and characterized by FT-IR, SEM, TG, XRD, UV-vis, ESR, H-1 NMR, and elemental analysis. Its catalytic activity was evaluated in the epoxidation of alkenes with aqueous H2O2. The resultant heteropolyanion-based ionic copolymer is revealed to be a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst for epoxidation of alkenes with H2O2, adding the advantages of convenient recovery and steady reuse. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.