Products of resorcinol-formaldehyde resin carbonization (chars) are characterized by different morphology (particle shape and sizes) and texture (specific surface area, pore volume and pore size distribution) depending on water content during resin polymerization. At a low amount of water (C-w = 37.8 wt.%) during synthesis resulting in strongly cross-linked polymers, carbonization gives nonporous particles. An increase in the water content to 62.7 wt.% results in a nano/mesoporous char, but if C-w = 73.3 wt.%, a char is purely nanoporous. Despite these textural differences, the Raman spectra of all the chars are similar because of the similarity in the structure of their carbon sheets with a significant contribution of sp(3) C atoms. However, the difference in the spatial organization of the carbon sheet stacks in the particles results in the significant differences in the textural and morphological characteristics and in the adsorption properties of chars with respect to water, methane, benzene, hydrogen, methylene chloride, and dimethylsulfoxide. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.