The porous "sponge-like" BiVO4 films were prepared with the polystyrene (PS) as pore forming material and F-doped SnO2 (ETD) glass as substrate. SEM observation displayed that "sponge-like" BiVO4 film with interconnect pore structure was successfully obtained. DRS analysis indicated the light absorption ability of BiVO4 film was enhanced by constructing porous structure. The measurement of surface area showed that porosity could elevate the surface area of the BiVO4 film. The experiment of PEC degradation of phenol showed that the degradation rate on the porous BiVO4 film (with 200 mu L) was 2.68 times as much as that on the BiVO4 film. The enhanced PEC performance was attributed to the increased photo absorption ability, elevated surface area, and more efficient reactant transfer. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.