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Cellulose (Cel) and sugarcane bagasse (SB) were oxidized with an H 3 PO 4 -NaNO 2 mixture to obtain adsorbent materials with high contents of carboxylic groups. The oxidation reactions of Cel and SB were optimized using design of experiments (DOE) and response surface methodology (RSM). The optimized synthesis conditions yielded Cox and SBox with 4.8 mmol/g and 4.5 mmol/g of carboxylic acid groups, respectively. Cox and SBox were characterized by FTIR, TGA, PZC and solid-state 13 C NMR. The adsorption of the model cationic dyes crystal violet (CV) and auramine-O (AO) on Cox and SBox in aqueous solution was investigated as a function of the solution pH, the contact time and the initial dye concentration. The adsorption of CV and AO on Cox was described by the Elovich equation and the pseudo-first-order kinetic model respectively, while the adsorption of CV and AO on SBox was described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Adsorption isotherms were well fitted by the Langmuir and Konda models, with maximum adsorption capacities ( Q max ) of 1117.8 mg/g of CV and 1223.3 mg/g of AO on Cox and 1018.2 mg/g of CV and 682.8 mg/g of AO on SBox. Desorption efficiencies were in the range of 50–52% and re-adsorption capacities varied from 65 to 81%, showing the possibility of reuse of both adsorbent materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]