Abstract Ag 3 PO 4 /AgVO 3 heterojunctions with high photocatalytic activities were synthesized via a simple and practical low-temperature solution-phase route by using AgVO 3 nanowires as substrate materials. The as-prepared Ag 3 PO 4 /AgVO 3 heterojunctions included Ag 3 PO 4 quantum dots assembling uniformly on the surface of AgVO 3 nanowires. Compared with pure AgVO 3 nanowires, Ag 3 PO 4 /AgVO 3 composite photocatalysts exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activities under visible light irradiation in the decomposition of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) ethanol solution. The enhanced performance is believed to be induced by the high specific surface area, strong visible-light absorption originating from the quantum dot sensitization of Ag 3 PO 4 , and high efficient separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs through Ag 3 PO 4 /AgVO 3 heterojunction.