Amine-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN-NH2) were synthesized under cyclohexane-water biphasic system using I-arginine as the weak base catalyst and CTAB as the template. The synthesized MSNNH2 particles were highly monodispersed nanospheres with a particle diameter lower than 50 nm and a pore size approximately 2-4 nm. MSN-NH2 particles were utilized as the adsorbent for a removal of Cu2+ and Fe2+ ions from aqueous solutions. MSN-NH2 possessed higher adsorption efficiency towards Cu2+ than Fee ions with the removal efficiency of Cu2+ as high as 99%. Adsorption isotherm showed that Langmuir model was suitably described the adsorption behaviors of Cu2+ and Fe2+ on MSN-NH2. Thermodynamic study indicated that the adsorptions of Cu2+ and Fe2+ on MSN-NH2 were spontaneous process and were primarily governed by a physical adsorption. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.