BiVO4 photocatalyst has been successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal strategy. Experimental results revealed that the pH value of the reaction solution had a significant influence on the phases and morphologies of BiVO4. The crystal structures, morphologies, and photophysical properties of BiVO4 were well-characterized. The morphology evolution process of BiVO4 was discussed. The photocatalytic activities were evaluated by the degradation of rhodamine B under visible-light irradiation. The best photocatalytic performance was attained for BiVO4 synthesized at pH 3.0, which was attributed to synergic effect of monoclinic phase and particle size. Crown Copyright (C) 2014 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved