H-2-reduced rutile-TiO2 xerogel (Ti-700), obtained via the sol-gel process, was found to strongly adsorb the Ni(II)-5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)-porphyrin (NiTCPP) from a methanolic solution, despite its very low specific surface area (S-BET approximate to 2 m(2) g(-1)). UV/vis spectroscopy analysis showed that after calcination at 700 degrees C and reduction under H-2 flow at 400 degrees C, the TiO2-xerogel increased its NiTCPP-adsorption capacity by surface area unit by up to 120 times. The effect of the porphyrin presence in the catalytic performances of TiO2-xerogels was studied through three kinetics models: (i) the pseudo-first-order kinetic model; (ii) the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, which are used to describe the adsorption rate based on the adsorption capacity of the catalysts; and (iii) the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model which is used to describe the photocatalytic degradation rate of methylene blue (MB). A significant improvement in the efficiency of Ti-700 was observed after the porphyrin-adsorption process (NiTCPP/Ti-700): MB-adsorption capacity at equilibrium and the apparent MB-photoconversion constant, k(app), of NiTCPP/Ti-700 were both up to 2 times higher than those observed for the Ti-700. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.