Template-free porous carbon nanofibers embedded by vanadium oxide and decorated with iron nanopartides (Fe@V-CNF) were prepared in a time and cost-saving manner by combining electrospinning and heat treatment processes. Cost-saving ammonium metavanadate was used as a semiconductor precursor of vanadium oxide (VOx) as well as porogen. The generated pores in the carbon nanofiber (CNFs) matrix formed pathways between the embedded VOx and the surface of CNFs and Fe NPs, thus, facilitate photo-generated electron transfer. The characterization results revealed that Fe@V-CNF comprised graphitic fibers with well-dispersed distribution of nanosized Fe NPs (similar to 7 nm) along the surface of CNF. Thereby, it enhanced the visible-light harvesting. The prepared Fe@V-CNF had remarkable light absorption in the visible region. It demonstrated much higher photocatalytic efficiency of photodegradation of organic dyes compared with the pure CNF and vanadium oxide embedded CNF (V-CNF). Notably, Fe@V-CNF achieved 99.9% dye degradation within 15-20 min. And, it could be conveniently recycled due to its one-dimensional nanostructural property. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Inc.