Cellulose powder was grafted with the vinyl monomer glycidyl methacrylate using ceric ammonium nitrate as initiator and was further derived with beta-CD and quaternary ammonium groups to build Cell-g-GMA-beta-CDN+ adsorbent. Epoxy cellulose was made up of Cell-g-GMA and Cell-hydro-g-GMA, and was found to contain 3.71 mmol g(-1) epoxy groups. The adsorption process of the modified cellulose was described by the Langmuir model of adsorption well, and the maximum adsorption capacity of chromium (VI) reached 61.05 mg g(-1). The adsorption-desorption tests of beta-CDN+-type cellulose derivatives exhibited that the reproducibility of the adsorbent was well and the adsorbent could be reused five times at least. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.