A composite membrane composed of hyperbranched poly(amidoamine) (HYPAM) and polysulfone (PSf) was successfully prepared to enable the removal of heavy metal ions from contaminated aqueous media. HYPAM was prepared by a one-pot reaction followed by modification with palmitoyl chloride, which included a long aliphatic chain that improved the compatibility with the hydrophobic PSf. The dendritic chelating agent HYPAM was incorporated into PSf via a phase inversion process to produce a HYPAM/PSf membrane. The resulting membrane was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The binding capacity of the HYPAM/PSf membrane toward heavy metal ions [Cd(II)] was investigated by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The efficiency of Cd(II) removal was 51% and resulted from metal ion complexation by a tertiary amine of HYPAM, and primary amine and amide groups grafted onto the PSf membrane surface. Moreover, the water permeability and the bovine serum albumin (BSA) retention of the HYPAM/PSf composite membrane were as high as 18 L m(-2) h(-1) at 1 bar and 85%, respectively. Under acidic conditions, the composite membrane recovered 86% of the Cd(II) ions. The findings of the present study highlight the potential for using HYPAM/PSf composite membranes as effective recyclable materials for the removal of heavy metal ions in the context of water treatment. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.