Photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes by mesoporous nanocrystalline anatase

Mesoporous nanocrystalline anatase was prepared via EISA employing P123 and CTAB as structure directing agents. The resultant mesoporous crystalline phases exhibited specific surface areas as high as ∼150 m2 g−1, average unimodal pore sizes of ∼3 nm and ∼6 nm, and average crystallite size of ∼10 nm; and were used as photocatalysts for the UV degradation of methylene blue, methyl orange, methyl red and rhodamine 6G. The mesoporous anatase phases photodegraded MB, MO and MR ∼2–3 times faster than conventional nanocrystalline anatase and showed limited photocatalytic activity for rhodamine 6G.