In this work, a dialdehyde starch cysteine (DASC) Schiff base is synthesized by the reaction of dialdehyde starch (DAS) and l-cysteine, and subsequently tested to remove Hg (II) from aqueous solution using the batch method. It is also characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Brunner-Emmet-Teller (BET) measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. The results reveal that the DASC is a kind of starch-based Schiff base containing thiol group, which holds excellent adsorption capacity for Hg (II) due to the interaction between sulfur atoms and Hg (II). At 25°C, the equilibrium can be achieved within 2 h and the maximal adsorption capacity of DASC with the substitution degree of 1.14 can be reached at 884.6 mg g −1 at initial pH 5. A relatively high temperature is favorable for the adsorption process of Hg (II). The kinetic and isotherm data are well fitted with the linear forms of pseudo-second order equation and Freundlich model. Additionally, the DASC shows good regenerative adsorption efficiency of 87.07% after four recycles. Owing to the advantages of economical, eco-friendly, high adsorption capacity, and recyclability, DASC may provide valuable information for the treatment of Hg (II) contaminated water.