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 similar to 150 m(2) g(-1), average unimodal pore sizes of similar to 3 nm and similar to 6 nm, and average crystallite size of similar to 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 similar to 2-3 times faster than conventional nanocrystalline anatase and showed limited photocatalytic activity for rhodamine 6G. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.