A series of W-containing mesoporous silicas with different calcination temperatures were in situ synthesized by using [(n-C8H17)(3)NCH3](2)W2O11 not merely as a novel template but also the W precursors. The catalysts were characterized by N-2 adsorption-desorption, XRD, XPS, HRTEM, EDS, ICP, FTIR, and UV-vis DRS analysis. The N-2 adsorption-desorption and HRTEM results indicated that these catalysts possessed mesoporous structure with relatively uniform pores and large internal surface areas. The XRD, ICP and HRTEM results indicated that the W species were highly dispersed on the surface and into the mesoporous silicas matrix. The catalysts also showed excellent catalytic performance on the removal of refractory bulky molecule sulfur compounds from the model oil with H2O2. Based on the removal of DBT in the model oil, the optimal calcination temperature of the catalysts is 450 degrees C. The catalytic activity of different sulfur-containing substrates was also investigated. After 8-times recycling, the sulfur removal could still reach 99.2% without any significant decrease. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.