Effects of pore size on the photocatalytic activity of mesoporous TiO2 prepared by a sol–gel process

Highly crystalline mesoporous TiO 2 was prepared by a facile sol–gel process in the presence of poly(oxyethylene-23) lauryl ether (Brij-35) surfactant. The pore size distribution of the samples became wider as the amount of Brij-35 increased. When the sample was prepared with moderate concentration of Brij-35, the sample had a bimodal pore size distribution with the small pores at 7 nm and the large pores at 20 nm. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue under UV irradiation. The sample with large pore size and wide pore size distribution showed higher photocatalytic activity. Graphical Abstract The crystalline mesoporous TiO 2 with large pore size and wide pore size distribution showed higher photocatalytic activity.