This paper describes studies of functionalized mesoporous silica employed as adsorbent for Mn(II) from aqueous solutions. The surface area of MCM-41 and diethylenetriamine functionalized-MCM-41 used in this study were 760 and 318 m(2) g(-1) (N-2 adsorption). A strong dependence on pH in the Mn(II) adsorption capacity and best results were obtained at pH 6.5-7. The adsorption onto the diethylenetriamine functionalized-MCM-41 followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the highest reaction rate 0.324 min(-1) was observed at low initial concentration 10 ppm. The equilibrium data showed excellent correlation with the Langmuir isotherm model and the maximum adsorption capacity of Mn(II) reached 88.9 mg/g for DETA-MCM-41 indicating that the adsorption occurs on a homogeneous surface by monolayer sorption without interaction between the adsorbed ions. These data contribute to the understanding of mechanisms involved in mesoporous silica and provide some practical clues to improve the adsorption efficiency (uptake capacity and kinetics) of Mn(II) ions. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.