Hydrophobic nanoporous materials are promising adsorbents for removing organic pollutants. Simultaneous control over the nanoporous structure with high organic contents, abundant adsorption sites and high adsorption performance is challenging. Herein, we report the successful preparation of superhydrophobic dendritic mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (SHDMONs) with exceptionally high content of octadecyl end groups (27.2–41.2 wt% carbon) with gradient distribution, leading to superior pyrene removal performance. The optimized sample displayed a high pyrene adsorption capacity (757.5 mg g−1) and a fast adsorption rate (30 min) and retained 91% of its original adsorption capacity after five times-reuse, providing a promising candidate for environmental remediation.
