Rice straw containing Si provided a biotemplate for the hybrid TiO2–SiO2 structure.
This structure has a specific surface area of 141.1 m2/g and pore size of 3.7 nm.
Light harvesting in the visible spectrum is enhanced.
The structure was used as a photocatalyst for methylene blue degradation.
Adsorption and photocatalytic activity were considerably enhanced.