Porous silica nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning alkoxide precursors and sacrificial polystyrene nanoparticles (PSNs). The multi-compartmented fibers were electrospun from a mixed solution of colloidal particles and poly (vinyl pyrrolidone), added with tetraethyl orthosilicate and acetic acid. The colloidal particles were embedded into the resultant fibers with a close-packing structure. After air calcination, the removal of polymeric particles created porous silica nanofibers. The pore size of the silica nanofibers ranges from micropores (similar to 3 nm) to mesopores (similar to 50 nm), and can be precisely controlled by changing the weight ratio of the PSNs. Such hierarchical porous nanofibers have been demonstrated as a promising candidate for dye adsorption. The dye absorption ability was enhanced as more mesopores were created, although the specific surface area simultaneously decreased with the decrease of micropores. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.