The structural and adsorption characteristics of polymer adsorbent LiChrolut EN and the behavior of adsorbed water and water/organic mixtures were studied using adsorption, microcalorimetry, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, H-1 NMR spectroscopy with layer-by-layer freezing-out of liquids (190-273 K), and thermally stimulated depolarization current method (90-265 K). This adsorbent is characterized by large specific surface area (similar to 1500 m(2)/g) and pore volume (0.83 cm(3)/g) with a major contribution of narrow pores (R < 10 nm) of a complicated shape (long hysteresis loop is in nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm). The adsorbent includes aromatic and aliphatic structures and oxygen-containing functionalities and can effectively adsorb organics and water/organic mixtures. On co-adsorption of water and organics (dimethyl sulfoxide, chloroform, methane), there is a weak influence of one on another adsorbate due to their poor mixing in pores. Weakly polar chloroform displaces a fraction of water from narrow pores. These effects can explain high efficiency of the adsorbent in solid-phase extraction of organics from aqueous solutions. The influence of structural features of several carbon and polymer adsorbents on adsorbed nitrogen, water and water/organics is compared on the basis of the adsorption and H-1 NMR data. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.