Nanostructured BiOCl and Bi24O31Cl10 have been synthesized by electrolytic corrosion of metal Bi. The photocatalysis and photoluminescence (PL) properties of BiOCl and Bi24O31Cl10 nanostructures have been investigated. Nanosheets with a thickness of similar to 10 nm and in-plane size of 30-60 nm were obtained in the as-synthesized BiOCl. The emission spectra excited at 360 nm consist of two broad emission bands: ultraviolet-blue and visible. The visible emission is responsible for the photocatalytic activity of BiOCl under visible light irradiation. The nanostructured Bi24O31Cl10, self-assembled by uniform nanosheets with a thickness of 10-20 nm, exhibits a broad and strong blue shift UV emission at room temperature. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.