Characterization and adsorption capacity of a novel high-performance polymeric sorbent synthesized in supercritical carbon dioxide

► A high-performance sorbent was synthesized through a clean route of stabilizer-free polymerization in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2).► These polymers synthesized in scCO2 hold more surface areas (50.38 m2/g) and larger pore volumes than those of prepared from other solvents. ► The sorbent have potential applications in removal of dyes from aqueous medium. The maximum absorption capacity of methylene blue on cross-linked poly(NHMam-co-AA) was 343.23 mg/g.