Bismuth　vanadates　with　multiple　morphologies　and/or　porous　structures　were　prepared　using　the　alcoho-hydrothermal　strategy　with　bismuth　nitrate　and　ammonium　metavanadate　as　metal　source,　NaOH　as　pH　adjustor,　ethanol　and　ethylene　glycol　as　solvent,　and/or　dodecylamine　(DA),　oleylamine　(OL)　or　oleic　acid　(OA)　as　surfactant.　The　materials　were　characterized　by　means　of　the　XRD,　Raman,　TGA/DSC,　FT-IR,　BET,　SEM,　TEM,　XPS,　and　UV-vis　techniques.　The　photocatalytic　performance　of　the　as-obtained　samples　was　evaluated　for　the　degradation　of　phenol　in　the　presence　of　a　small　amount　of　H2O2　under　visible-light　irradiation,　and　the　effect　of　phenol　concentration　on　the　photocatalytic　activity　was　also　examined.　It　is　found　that　the　surfactant　and　pH　value　had　a　significant　influence　on　the　particle　morphology　and　even　the　crystalline　structure　of　the　product.　Porous　olive-like　monoclinic　BiVO4　samples　could　be　prepared　with　DA,　OL　or　OA　as　surfactant　at　pH　=　1.5　or　3.0　and　alcoho-hydrothermal　temperature　=　100　degrees　C.　With　DA　as　surfactant　at　an　alcoho-hydrothermal　temperature　of　100　degrees　C,　short-rod-like　monoclinic　BiVO4　and　porous　sheet-layered　spherical　orthorhombic　Bi4V2O11　were　obtained　when　the　pH　value　of　the　precursor　solution　was　raised　to　7.0　and　11.0,　respectively.　Among　the　BiVO4　samples,　the　porous　olive-like　one　with　a　surface　area　of　12.7　m(2)/g　exhibited　the　best　visible-light-driven　photocatalytic　performance　for　phenol　degradation.　It　is　concluded　that　the　excellent　photocatalytic　activity　of　the　porous　olive-like　BiVO4　sample　was　associated　with　its　higher　surface　area　and　surface　oxygen　vacancy　density,　porous　structure,　lower　bandgap　energy,　and　unique　morphology.　(C)　2011　Elsevier　B.V.　All　rights　reserved.