A novel Bi/CdS nanocomposite is obtained via an in-situ chemical reduction method under mild conditions. The incorporation of Bi nanostructure can significantly enhance the photocatalytic performance for methyl orange (MO) and salicylic acid (SA) degradation compared with pristine CdS under visible light irradiation. The dramatically improved photoactivity can be attributed to the enhanced light absorption and optimized charge separation. In addition, the photocatalysis mechanism upon Bi/CdS for MO degradation is also investigated. This study is hoped to provide a new inspiration for the construction of high-efficiency semimetal/semiconductor photocatalysts, especially for non-noble metal/M.Sy nanocomposites. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.