The Bi metal sphere/graphene oxide (Bi/GO) nanohybrids were firstly synthesized by a simple one-step solvothermal method. Compared with bare Bi spheres, the Bi/GO nanohybrids exhibited highly enhanced and stable direct plasmonic photocatalytic activity towards removal of NO, primarily resulting from the assistance of graphene oxide. The Bi spheres act as antenna for incident light absorption via the SPR effect. The graphene oxide is regarded as an acceptor and transporter of the photogenerated electrons and provides the binding sites for Bi deposition. Furthermore, the related growth and plasmonic photocatalytic mechanisms of Bi/GO nanohybrids system were proposed reasonably. The agreements of the simulation results and experimental study where Bi spheres and Bi/GO nanohybrids were applied as direct plasmonic photocatalysts were discussed for the first time. This work could not only provide new insights into the understanding of the plasmonic effects of Bi spheres but also pave a new way to design direct plasmonic photocatalysts with superior performance. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.