A novel chitosan derivative, 8-hydroxyquinioline-2-carboxaldehydechitosan (CSHQ) Schiff base, was synthesized by a simple condensation process. The structure of the resulting product was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, solid-state C-13-NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Further, the synthesized CSHQ Schiff base was used as an adsorbent for the removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solution. The adsorption of Cu(II) onto CSHQ was strongly dependent on the pH value, and the optimum pH value obtained was pH 5. Among the pseudo-first-order (PFO), pseudo-second-order (PSO), and intraparticle diffusion model simulation, the experimental data followed PSO kinetics well. The Cu(II) adsorption process onto CSHQ obeyed the Langmuir isotherm model well rather than the Freundlich and Sips isotherm models; this suggested that a monolayer adsorption occurred on the surface of CSHQ. From the overall results, we found that Cu(II) was adsorbed onto CSHQ through oxygen, nitrogen and pyridine nitrogen donor atoms and that CSHQ could be a promising adsorbent for water treatment. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 4542-4550, 2013