Electrospinning-derived nanofibrous films functionalized by photocatalysts have been extensively studied in the applications of environmental remediation. In this investigation, we propose a simple strategy for preparation of flexible and chemically stable nanofibrous films with high photocatalytic efficiency. Specifically, SiO2 nanofibrous film modified with Bi2WO6 nanoparticles was studied as a representative. Flexible SiO2 nanofibers were derived through sol-gel and electrospinning techniques. By simple soaking in precursor solution of Bi2WO6 and calcination, the SiO2 nanofibrous film was functionalized by Bi2WO6 nanoparticles, forming hierarchically porous composite film. Micro morphology, mechanical property and photocatalytic performance were tuned via changing the concentration of the soaking solution. Photocatalytic removal of organic pollutant from water was performed using RhB (Rhodamine B) as a model. The strategy proposed here is also widely applicable for preparation of composite films modified with other kinds of photocatalysts. SiO2-Bi2MoO6, SiO2-TiO2 and SiO2-CuO composite films were prepared in a similar way to demonstrate the versatility of the proposed preparation strategy. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.