Single crystalline CuGeO3 nanorods with a diameter of 20-35 nm and a length up to have been prepared via a facile hydrothermal route with the assistance of ethylenediamine. Some influencing factors such as the reaction time, reaction temperature, the volume of ethylenediamine were revealed to play crucial roles in the formation of the CuGeO3 nanorods. A possible growth mechanism was proposed based on the experimental results. Significantly, this is the first time that CuGeO3 was used as a photocatalyst for organic pollutant degradation under UV light irradiation. The reaction constant (k) of CuGeO3 nanorods was five times that of the sample prepared by solid-state reaction under UV light irradiation. Additionally, the optical and magnetic properties of CuGeO3 nanorods were systematically studied. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.