Titania and ceria incorporated rice husk silica based catalyst was synthesized via sol-gel method using CTAB and glycerol as surface directing agents at room temperature and labeled as RHS-50Ti10Ce. The catalyst was used to study the adsorption and photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV irradiation. The powder XRD pattern of RHS-50Ti10Ce was much broader (20 = 25-30 degrees) than that of the parent RHS (20 = 22 degrees). The catalyst exhibited type IV isotherm with H3 hysteresis loop, and the TEM images showed partially ordered pore arrangements. The TGA-DTG thermograms confirmed the complete removal of the templates after calcination at 500 degrees C. RHS-50Ti10Ce exhibited excellent adsorption capability with more than 99% removal of MB from a 40 mg L-1 solution in just 15 min. It also decolorized an 80 mg L-1 MB solution under UV irradiation in 210 min, which was comparable with the commercialized pure anatase TiO2. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.