A study of photocatalytic properties of Bi4V2O11-delta for the degradation of common organic dyes such as methylene blue (MB) under visible light was carried out. Other identified bismuth based visible light photocatalysts such as Bi2GaVO7, Bi2YVO8 and Bi2AlVO7 were reinvestigated to understand their structural, and photocatalytic properties. Our experiments involving the synthesis of Bi2YVO8 indicated merely a mixture of BiYO3 and BiVO4, instead of the reported oxide containing bismuth in +3 and +5 oxidation states (J. Luan, et al., Mater. Res. Bull. 43 (2008) 3332). We have further shown the similarity of Bi2AlVO7 and Bi2GaVO7 photocatalysts with that of the metal ions substituted Bi4V2O11-delta (BIMEVOX; ME = Al, Ga) based on the results of powder X-ray diffraction, UV-vis diffuse reflectance and photocatalytic studies. In general, photocatalytic behavior of Bi4V2O11-delta and Bi4V2-xMxO11-delta (M = Al, Ga; x = 0.4) were found to be moderate for the decomposition of MB under visible light irradiation. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.