Novel solid-supported ionic liquid (Si-Sal-SSIL) was synthesized by immobilization of 1-methyl-3-(3-trimethoxysilylpropylimidazolium) salicylate MTMSPISal ionic liquid onto the activated silica gel. First, the MTMSPISal ionic liquid was derived from the reaction of a metathesis product of 1-methyl-3-(3-trimethoxysilylpropylimidazolium) chloride MTMSPICl with sodium salicylate through an ion-exchanged reaction. MTMSPISal was purified and characterized through ion-chromatography, CHN and Karl-Fischer titration analyses. Further characterizations on MTMSPISal were carried out by 1H NMR and FTIR analyses. Si-Sal-SSIL was successfully prepared and confirmed through BET and solid-state NMR analyses. Si-Sal-SSIL showed better removal capacities towards Pb(ii) and Ni(ii) ions in comparison to native activated silica gel. Si-Sal-SSIL was then applied as solid adsorbent for an efficient removal of Pb(ii) and Ni(ii) from the aqueous solution. A series of batch sorption study were performed to explore the influence of parameters i.e., loading ratio of activated silica gel to MTMSPISal, pH, mixing time, initial concentration of analyte towards the adsorption of Pb(ii) and Ni(ii) ions onto Si-Sal-SSIL as a function of removal efficiency. Under optimized conditions, the sorption kinetics for removal of both metals agreed with pseudo-second order linear plots. The mechanism of Pb(ii) and Ni(ii) sorption by Si-Sal-SSIL gave good fits for Langmuir model. © 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.