Vanadium containing mesoporous silica of high photocatalytic activity and stability even in water

Vanadium containing mesoporous silica molecular sieve with highly dispersed and tetrahedrally coordinated V-oxide ([V.sup.v][O.sub.4]) species was prepared by a modified surfactant-templating method and its photocatalytic activity and stability was studied. The measurements reveal that the modified templating method creates [V.sup.v][O.sub.4] species confined within silica layer, while other methods create [V.sup.v][O.sub.4] species exposed on silica surface.