Mesoporous Fe (III) doped TiO2 nanoparticles with an anatase phase were prepared by using a stable precursor potassium hexafluorotitanate as Ti source for the first time and its physical as well as photocatalytic properties were compared with that of Fe doped titania prepared from the most common Ti source titanium isopropoxide. FeSO4 center dot 7H(2)O and Fe (NO)(3)center dot 9H(2)O were used for doping titania with Fe (Ill). Physicochemical properties of the samples were characterized by XRD, XPS, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. EDX confirms the presence of Fe. DRS and TEM reveals that doping has taken place. It was found that Fe-doped nanostructured titania prepared from potassium hexafluorotitanate was much more effective in the photocatalytic decomposition of bromocresol green than undoped nanostructured titania as well as commercial titania. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.