Poly(ether sulfone) (PES) and sulfonated poly(ether sulfone) (SPES) nanofiber mats were synthesized by electrospinning and modified via the in-situ polymerization of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT) on nonwoven (NW) electrospun PES and SPES mats. Chelating property of the obtained nanofiber mats were evaluated (for Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cr(VI) ions). The adsorption capacity was influenced by pH, concentration and contact time and followed a pseudo-second-order kinetics model (Freundlich model). The adsorption capacities of NW PEDOT/SPES mats were remarkably greater than NW PEDOT/PES mats. The charge transport characteristics electrical impedance (EIS) results indicated that they were sensitive to the nature of adsorbed metal ions. (C) 2017 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.