Adsorption kinetics and equilibrium of copper from ethanol fuel on silica-gel functionalized with amino-terminated dendrimer-like polyamidoamine polymers

► Silica-gels functionalized with dendrimer-like polymers are used as adsorbents. ► We study kinetics and equilibrium for copper in ethanol solution. ► Pseudo second-order model and Langmuir model are suitable. ► Adsorptions are physical processes. ► Adsorption is endothermic and spontaneous at the solid-solution interface.