A hierarchical TS-1 (HTS-1) with 140-200 nm particle size was hydrothermally synthesized by employing an organosilane that serves as a silica source and mesoporous template simultaneously. An advantage of this kind of synthesized nano-scaled material is the convenient separation from the synthetic mother solution without using conventional centrifugation or filtration because of the existence of Alkyl groups. HTS-1 possesses the characteristics of both micro-and mesoporous materials and is applied as a catalyst in the oxidation of thiophene (Th), benzothiophene (BT), dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT). Compared with conventional TS-1 (CTS-1) and mesoporous material Ti-MCM-41, HTS-1 exhibits excellent catalytic performance in the oxidation of bulky and small reactants in the presence of H2O2. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.