Here in, morphologically tuned Bi2S3 NPs were successfully synthesized from a single-source precursor complex [Bi(ACDA)(3)] [HACDA = 2-aminocyclopentene-1-dithiocarboxylic acid] by decomposing in various solvents using a simple solvothermal method. The as-obtained products were characterized by XRD, TEM, UV-vis spectroscopy and BET surface area measurements. Structural analyses revealed that the as-prepared Bi2S3 NPs can be tuned to different morphologies by varying various solvents and surfactants. The interplay of factors that influenced the size and morphology of the nanomaterials has been studied. Moreover, mastery over the morphology of nanoparticles enables control of their properties and enhancement of their usefulness for a given application. These materials emerged as a highly active visible light-driven photocatalyst towards degradation of methylene blue dye and the efficiencies are dependent on size and surface area of the NPs. In addition, photocatalytic degradation of highly toxic dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane was studied using synthesized Bi2S3 NPs as catalyst and the rate of degradation has been found to be much better compared to that exhibited by commercial WO3. We believe that this new synthesis approach can be extended to the synthesis of other metal sulfide nanostructures and open new opportunities for device applications. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.