In this study, beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) polymer was covalently bonded to multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) with the aid of gamma-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) for the fabrication of novel porous materials with special surface properties. The success of synthesis and physicochemical properties of beta-CD polymer grafted MWNTs (MWNTs-g-CDP) were characterized by FT-IR, XPS, TGA, TEM and BET. The novel materials were further utilized to remove the typical contaminant of resorcinol in industrial wastewater. The results illustrated that MWNTs-g-CDP possessed much higher adsorption capability and demonstrated the shorter saturation adsorption time than that of pristine MWNTs. Therefore, MWNTs-g-CDP with the unique pore and surface characteristics may have great potentials in environmental applications. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.