Phenol (PHE) and bisphenol A (BPA) are common and highly hazardous phenolic organic pollutants in wastewater. However,

existing research on the removal effect and mechanism of their complex pollution is insufficient. In this study, carbon

spheres were synthesized via hydrothermal method using glucose as the carbon-based raw material, and anionic surfactant

and thiourea were added. Activated carbon sphere-based material (ACP) were further prepared using the high-temperature

activation effect of KOH. The adsorption characteristics of ACP for two phenolic pollutants (PHE and BPA) alone and in

complex pollution were investigated by batch adsorption experiments. The physicochemical properties and high-efficiency

removal mechanism of ACP were analyzed using characterization techniques and adsorption models, and its application

potential was evaluated comparatively. The results showed that ACP has a variety of surface functional groups and a porous

structure, with a BET-specific surface area of 1688.14 m2

g−

1, and a polar surface with N and S co-doping. The Langmuir

and pseudo-second-order kinetic models could well describe the adsorption characteristics of PHE and BPA by ACP, indicating

that the adsorption is monolayer adsorption completed by boundary diffusion. The theoretical maximum adsorption

capacities of PHE and BPA by ACP were 54.55 and 203.63 mg g−

1, respectively, and the equilibrium time was 24 h. In

the complex pollutions, the average removal rates of PHE and BPA by ACP were 50.3% and 54.8%, respectively. The high

removal mechanisms were related to surface adsorption (van der Waals forces), π–π interactions, and hydrogen bonding.

The adsorption effect of ACP was generally higher than that of various carbon-based adsorbents, which is worth promoting.

The difference in adsorption of PHE and BPA was also explained from multiple dimensions. This study provides a scientific

contribution to the removal mechanism of phenolic complex pollution and the efficient application of carbon spheres.