Well hexagonally ordered CrSBA-15 catalysts synthesized by different hydrothermal methods were used, for the first time, for the selective synthesis of benzophenone (BP=O) by liquid-phase oxidation of diphenylmethane (DPM) under various reaction conditions. To investigate the leaching of chromium species on the surface of silica networks, the results of original and reusable Cr-containing mesoporous silica catalysts were correlated and compared, and the catalytic activity of washed CrSBA-15(8) was also demonstrated. Based on the all catalytic results for this reaction, CrSBA-15(8) was found to be a highly active and an environmentally friendly solid catalyst and has superior catalytic activity than other Cr-containing mesoporous catalysts. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.