N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), toluene, butanone, and ethyl acetate are the primary volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced in the synthetic leather industry. This study examined the elfectiveness of the hydrophobic VOCs toluene to be absorbed by a DMF aqueous solution in a spray packed column based on the characteristics of exhaust gas components. Based on the analysis of the intermolecular interaction relationships among each component molecule (DMF, toluene and water) combined with the experimental research on toluene absorption by a DMF aqueous solution, the addition of DMF was found to enhanee the strength of the intemolecular interaction between toluene and the absorbent. The results showed that DMF could enhance the interaction force between toluene and absorbent. In the dynamic absorption experiment, the absorption efficiencies of 30% DMF absorbent and deionized water were 24.5% and 10.9%, respectively, with an increase in absorption efficiency of 2.5 times. Furthemmore , the saturated absorption of toluene in a 30% DMF aqueous solution was 14 mg · L^-1. The quasi-Henry's law constant of toluene in a 30% DMF aqueous solution was much smaller than that in water, which further verified the enhancement of DMF for the absorption of toluene. Heating distillation (50 ℃) was highly efficient in recovering toluene from the DMF absorbent solution, and the absorbent was regenerated with nearly the same initial toluene absorption capacity. These results indicated that DMF aqueous solutions could have certain application prospects in the treatment of poorly water-soluble VOCs.