2D hand-like structured alpha-MoO3 porous nanosheets were grown in-situ onto a capillary by a simple hydrothermal route, on which titanium dioxide seed layer was sol-dip-coated in advance. The alpha-MoO3 porous nanosheets array exhibits an exceptional lead ion uptake capacity up to 1450.0 mg.g(-1), and can effectively reduce Pb2+ concentration from 20 mg.L-1 to a low level of smaller than 3 mu g.L-1, well below the acceptable limits in drinking water standards (10 mu g.L-1) and can efficiently remove 99.9% lead ion within a few minutes at room temperature. Furthermore, alpha-MoO3 porous nanosheets array also has high selectivity toward Pb2+ better than Cu2+, Zn2+, Cr3+ and Cd2+. The mechanism for adsorption was discussed according to the results of Zeta potential, IR, XPS and XRD analyses. The excellent removal performance of the array to Pb2+ is resulted from the electrostatic adsorption interaction and the formation of new species lead molybdate. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.