The graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized with Brodie's method and grafted with poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (NIPAM) in aqueous solution at ambient temperature. Compared with the initial GO, the PNIPAM graft GO (GO-PNIPAM) has larger surface area, pore volume and self-flocculation effect with rapid response to temperature. Moreover, the GO-PNIPAM also has selective adsorptions with different phenol pollutants because of the different interactions of hydrogen bonds and the molecule structure of the adsorbates. Compared with phenol and bisphenol A, hydroquinone has better adsorption on GO-PNIPAM because of the ample phenolic hydroxyl group and the appropriate molecule structure. The adsorption performance of hydroquinone on GO-PNIPAM is also temperature sensitive because of the thermoresponsive transition of the hydrogen bond. The thermoresponsive adsorption and self-flocculation will make the GO-PNIPAM recyclable in the potential water remediation. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.