Hypercrosslinked polystyrenic beads with bimodal pore size distribution were prepared through Friedel-Crafts modification by using macroreticular poly(vinylbenzylchloride-divinylbenzene) copolymer beads as base polymers. Their adsorption behaviors were investigated with the aqueous solution of phenolic compounds such as phenol, 4-chlorophenol, and 2,4-dichlorophenol. The biporous hypercrosslinked beads showed not only faster adsorption kinetics than commercial polystyrenic adsorbents, but also larger adsorption capacities. The adsorption isotherms for the bi-solute system were represented in a three-dimensional coordinate, and their adsorption behaviors could be explained from the data for the adsorption of a single phenolic component. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.