Phenolic resin-based porous carbon nanofibers (PCNFs) with large surface area and narrow pore size distribution have been successfully prepared using novolac-type phenolic resin as precursor. The high molecular weight precursor was first synthesized in this study, then was dissolved in methanol. The PCNFs were finally obtained through electrospinning the phenolic resin polymer solution followed by successive curing and carbonization without activation. The N(2) adsorption/desorption isotherms reveal that the PCNFs have high specific surface area about 812 m(2)/g, the pore size falls in the range of 0.4-0.7 nm and the pore volume is 0.91 cm(3)/g. The vapor adsorption testing demonstrated that PCNFs exhibited different adsorption performance for ethanol and water. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.