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A novel shape controlled Cu2O/reduced graphene oxide/In2O3 (Cu2O/RGO/In2O3) hybrid with abundant oxygen vacancies was prepared by a facile, surfactant-free method. The hybrid photocatalyst exhibits an increased photocatalytic activity in water oxidation and degradation of environmental pollutants (methylene blue and Cr6+ solutions) compared with pure In2O3 and Cu2O materials. The presence of oxygen vacancies in Cu2O/RGO/In2O3 and the formation of heterojunction between In2O3 and Cu2O induce extra diffusive electronic states above the valence band (VB) edge and reduce the band gap of the hybrid consequently. Besides, the increased activity of Cu2O/RGO/In2O3 hybrid is also attributed to the alignment of band edge, a process that is assisted by different Fermi levels between In2O3 and Cu2O, as well as the charge transfer and distribution onto the graphene sheets, which causes the downshift of VB of In2O3 and the significant increase in its oxidation potential. Additionally, a built-in electric field is gener...

Cubic Pt nanoparticles were prepared by NaBH(4) reduction of K(2)PtCl(6) in an aqueous medium. Under the effect of phase-transfer inducer HCl, Pt nanoparticles were transferred to a toluene solution containing dodecanethiol, forming a toluene organosol of cubic Pt nanoparticles protected by dodecanethiol. A monolayer of cubic Pt nanoparticles is obtained on carbon film by self-assembly using this organosol. The stability of the organosol is checked; after being aged for 10 months, the same monolayer of cubic Pt nanoparticles can be obtained using the organosol. The organosol, Pt nanoparticle self-assembled monolayer, and phase transfer were characterized by UV-vis spectra and transmission electron microscopy.