The adsorption of indigo carmine dye onto chitin and chitosan from aqueous solutions was followed in a batch system. The ability of these materials to adsorb indigo carmine dye from aqueous solution was followed through a series of adsorption isotherms adjusted to a modified Langmuir equation. The maximum number of moles adsorbed was 1.24+/-0.16 x 10(-5) and 1.54+/-0.03 x 10(-4) mol g(-1) for chitin and chitosan, respectively. The same interactions were calorimetrically followed and the thermodynamic data showed exothermic enthalpic values of -40.12+/-3.52 and -29.25+/-1.93 kJ mol(-1) for chitin and chitosan, respectively. Gibbs free energies for the two adsorption processes of indigo carmine dye presented a positive value for chitin and a negative one for chitosan, reflecting that dye/surface interactions are thermodynamic favorable for chitosan and nonspontaneous for chitin at 298.15 K. The interaction processes were accompanied by an increase of entropy value for chitosan (90+/-6 J mol(-1) K-1) and a decrease for chitin (-145 +/- 13 J mol(-1) K-1). Thus, dye/chitosan interaction showed favorable enthalpic and entropic processes, reflecting thermodynamic stability of the formed complex, while dye/chitin interaction showed an exothermic enthalpic value and a highly nonfavorable entropic effect, resulting in a nonspontaneous thermodynamic system. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.