A　novel　cellulose–styrene　copolymer　adsorbent　(cellulose-St)　was　prepared　using　free　radical　polymerization.　Successful　polymerization　was　confirmed　through　Fourier　Transform　Infrared　Spectroscopy　(FTIR),　Carbon　13　Solid　Nuclear　Magnetic　Resonance　(13C　NMR)　Spectroscopy,　Scanning　Electron　Microscopy　(SEM),　etc.　Cellulose-St　possessed　good　hydrophobicity,　and　the　best　water　contact　angle　of　cellulose-St　samples　could　reach　146　.　It　had　the　ability　of　adsorption　for　nitrobenzene　(NB),　and　the　adsorption　process　could　be　well　described　by　the　pseudo-second-order　(R2　＞　0.99)　and　three-stage　intraparticle　diffusion　(R2　＞　0.99)　kinetic　models.　Furthermore,　the　dynamic　adsorption　experiments　revealed　that　cellulose-St　had　the　potential　for　continuous　separation　of　NB　in　water,　and　the　breakthrough　point　for　the　initial　NB　concentration　of　10　mg/L　reached　1.275　L/g.　Moreover,　cellulose-St　exhibited　excellent　environmental　adaptability　that　it　could　maintain　its　hydrophobicity　and　adsorption　ability　for　NB　in　strong　acids,　strong　alkalis,　or　organic　solvents.　The　used　cellulose-St　could　be　reused　after　washing　with　ethanol　and　keep　almost　constant　adsorption　capacity　after　ten　cycles.　©　2021　by　the　authors.　Licensee　MDPI,　Basel,　Switzerland.