In this study, commercial acrylic fibers were modified with diethylenetriamine to prepare metal chelating fibers. The effects of process parameters on the efficiency of the reaction were investigated. FTIR spectroscopy and TGA analysis were used to confirm the chemical changes made to the fibers during the reaction. The ability of the modified fibers for removal of Pb (II), Cu (II) and Ce (IV) ions from aqueous media was determined. The modified fibers showed a slight decrease in mechanical properties compared to raw ones. Furthermore, the acrylic micro fibers were electrospun to nanofibers and the ability of modified nanofibers for the adsorption of the metal ions was studied