Monoclinic sheelite BiVO4 nanorods (ms-BiVO4 NRs) have been synthesized from an aqueous solution of Bi(NO3)(3) and NH4VO3 at 370K containing polyethylene glycol (PEG), while micron-sized BiVO4 crystals (ms-BiVO4 MCs) are formed without PEG. The UV-vis absorption spectra of the PEG solutions of NH4VO3 suggested the formation of a complex consisting of VO3- ion and PEG. In this synthetic route, PEG can suppress the reactivity of VO3- ions by the stabilization to further act as a soft template for the formation of ms-BiVO4 NRs. The as-grown ms-BiVO4 NRs exhibit a high level of photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Cu(acac)(2) without sacrificial agents under illumination of visible-light (lambda > 430 nm). The local symmetry of VO4 tetrahedron affecting the light absorption intensity in addition to the large surface area and high crystallinity have been suggested to be a crucial factor to achieve the high visible-light-activity of ms-BiVO4. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.