N-butylimidazolium functionalized strongly basic anion exchange resin with Cl(-) anion (MCl) was prepared by anchoring N-butylimidazole onto chloromethylated macroporous styrene-divinylbenzene (St-DVB) copolymer. The adsorption performances of phenol on MCl were studied using the batch technique at acidic and alkaline pH. The studies showed that phenol can be effectively removed at both acidic and alkaline pH. The maximum adsorption was achieved at about pH 11. The maximum adsorption capacities of phenol on MCl at pH 6.6 and 11.2 were 80.2 and 92.9 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption mechanism was mainly molecular adsorption at acidic pH and anion exchange at alkaline pH. The adsorption of phenol was hindered by the presence of Cl(-) and SO(4)(2-) at alkaline pH due to the competitive anion exchange reaction. The adsorption of molecular phenol species on MCl at acidic pH was exothermic, and the anion exchange of phenolate species by MCl at alkaline pH was endothermic. Desorption of phenol from loaded adsorbent was achieved by using 0.5 mol/L NaOH and 0.5 mol/L NaCl mixed solution. MCl can simultaneously remove phenol and Cr(VI) from their mixtures, which would be of practical value in actual industrial wastewater treatment. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.