Metal removal and recovery from wastewater is of great importance for the environmental protection and resources sustainability. In this study, the synergistic effect of additives towards the electrochemical recovery of Cu was illustrated using low-cost stainless steel cathode. It has been identified that potassium ferrocyanide has the effect of grain refining, and 2, 2'-dipyridine has the effect of spherical growth. Therefore, fine spherical copper deposited product is firstly obtained in the presence of two target-specific additives from dilute solution, and satisfied current efficiency is achieved. This additives-assisted electrodeposition approach may serve as a promising alternative to overcome the bottlenecks of existing metal recovery and water purification. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.