Copper hydroxyphosphate was synthesized hydrothermally and characterized by XRD and SEM. The peroxide degradation of azo dye on this material was evaluated by examining initial pH, catalyst loading, H2O2 dosage, initial dye concentration and temperature. Although copper hydroxyphosphate is a low surface area material without micropores or mesopores, it shows considerable activity for oxidative degradation of azo dyes under near-neutral pH conditions. A catalyst with such simple and clear structure may be a suitable model material for research on the mechanism of generating hydroxyl radicals and heir destruction of organic molecules. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.