Chemical modification of gel-type chloromethylated polystyrene (PS) was performed and the obtained resin HJ-C01 was employed as a polymeric adsorbent for adsorptive removal of p-nitroaniline and separation of p-nitroaniline from methyl orange (or Congo red) The results indicated that micro/mesoporous structure played a predominant role in the pore diameter distribution and the average pore diameter of HJ-C01 was 2 39 nm The adsorption of p-nitroaniline onto HJ-C01 from aqueous solution was effective and the adsorption capacity of p-nitroaniline was much larger than methyl orange and nearly no Congo red was adsorbed onto HJ-C01 Fixed-bed column adsorption experiments demonstrated that HJ-C01 was an excellent polymeric adsorbent for adsorptive removal of p-nitroaniline from aqueous solution and it could separate p-nitroaniline effectively from methyl orange (or Congo red) by molecular sieving effect (C) 2010 Elsevier B V All rights reserved