A novel cationic hydrogel bead with high adsorption capacity was prepared by solution polycondensation and inverse suspension polymerization using formaldehyde

acetone and triethylenetetramine as raw materials. The chemical structure and surface morphology of the hydrogel bead were characterized. The adsorption behavior and mechanism of hydrogel bead for anionic dye Acid Black 10B and surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) from aqueous solution was investigated via batch experiments. Experimental results showed that cationic hydrogel bead had high cationicity and abundant polar functional groups. The adsorption was attributed to a combination of electrostatic attraction and intermolecular interactions

such as hydrogen bonding

and the adsorption efficiency increased with decreasing solution pH. During the adsorption

adsorbate molecule permeated into the bead and then was adsorbed onto the inner surface of the hygrogel. Therefore

the adsorption process was governed by the diffusion of the adsorbates inside the hydrogel matrix

which enabled a high adsorption capacity.