In this work, HKUST-1 and different metal modified HKUST-1 materials were investigated in Hg0 removal performance under air condition. Results showed that the pristine HKUST-1 only has a mercury removal rate of around 20%. After metal modification of HKUST-1, the removal efficiency was significantly improved. Among different modification materials employed in this study, HKUST-1 modified by manganese chloride exhibited the highest Hg0 removal efficiency of 95% at 250 oC. This value is relatively high compared with most previously reported catalysts. In addition, this study reveals that the enhanced Hg0 removal efficiency results from the increase of Brønsted acid sites on the sample surface, which is vital to Hg0 removal. Furthermore, it is found that SO2 produced little toxicity to Mn(Cl)/HKUST-1 in the presence of O2. This is beneficial to remove Hg0 in the industrial flue gas, where SO2 is a common component. Therefore, Mn(Cl)/HKUST-1 synthesized here is a promising catalyst for Hg0 removal.