Recent advances and mechanism of plasmonic metal–semiconductor photocatalysis.

Hydrogen can be sustainably produced through photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The process of PEC water splitting is composed of two vital half-reactions: water oxidation to O₂ on photoanode, and proton reduction to H₂ on photocathode. Both in thermodynamics and kinetics, the oxidation of water on photoanode is much more challenging, because the formation of O₂ involves the four-holes reaction process that is more difficult than the two-protons reduction. Accordingly, the oxidation of water into O₂ is the rate-determining reaction for PEC water splitting, which is closely affected by the light harvesting, charge separation and transfer, as well as surface activity of photoanode. In principle, water oxidation is initiated by the photo-excited charge of photoanode. In this review, we took hematite photoanode as a typical example to illustrate the progress in modifying the charge separation and migration property of metal-oxide photoanodes for water oxidation. The typical strategies adopted to facilitate the charge transfer and separation of hematite photoanode were specifically summarized. In addition, the views designing and developing hematite photoanode with high-performance for water oxidation were presented. This review provides comprehensive information about the state-of-the-art progress of hematite-based photoanodes and forecast the developing directions of photoanode materials for solar water splitting.

The synthesis of the accurate composition and morphological/structural design of multielement semiconductor materials is considered an effective strategy for obtaining high-performance hybrid photocatalysts. Herein, sulfur vacancy (Vs)-bearing In₂S₃/CuInS₂ microflower heterojunctions (denoted Vs-In₂S₃/CuInS₂) were formed in situ using In₂S₃ microsphere template-directed synthesis and a metal ion exchange-mediated growth strategy. Photocatalysts with flower-like microspheres can be obtained using hydrothermally synthesized In₂S₃ microspheres as a template, followed by Ostwald ripening growth during the metal cation exchange of Cu⁺ and In³⁺. The optimal heterostructured Vs-In₂S₃/CuInS₂ microflowers exhibited CO and CH₄ evolution rates of 80.3 and 11.8 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, respectively, under visible-light irradiation; these values are approximately 4 and 6.8 times higher than those reported for pristine In₂S₃, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of the Vs-In₂S₃/CuInS₂ catalysts could be attributed to the synergistic effects of the following factors: (i) the constructed heterojunctions accelerate charge-carrier separation; (ii) the flower-like microspheres exhibit highly uniform morphologies and compositions, which enhance electron transport and light harvesting; and (iii) the vs. may trap excited electrons and, thus, inhibit charge-carrier recombination. This study not only confirms the feasibility of the design of heterostructures on demand, but also presents a simple and efficient strategy to engineer metal sulfide photocatalysts with enhanced photocatalytic performance.

To address prominent problems in college physics teaching for science and engineering students, such as difficulty in understanding abstract concepts, inefficient classroom interaction, and insufficient differentiation in students' ability development, our teaching team constructed a three-stage teaching model of “Precise Planning-Flexible Interaction-In-depth Inquiry.” This model integrates the strengths of traditional teaching with the advantages of digital-intelligent teaching. Before class, learning tasks are designed around teaching objectives to guide students in integrating digital resources, while teaching content is reconstructed and iteratively optimized based on learning analytics. During class, core problems drive a “questioning-inquiry-verification” learning process. Role reversal is used to stimulate students’ active participation, while intelligent platforms collect real-time learning data, dynamically adjust groupings, deliver tiered tasks, and provide precise support through personalized guidance. After class, differentiated extension tasks are assigned, and personalized learning paths are generated. Taking the teaching of “Conservation of Angular Momentum” as an example, this paper presents the teaching practice of the three-stage model in detail. Results from questionnaires, anonymous teaching evaluations, and students’ assignment completion show that the model has gained broad recognition. It effectively stimulates students’ interest in learning and enhances their ability to analyze and solve problems, providing a replicable teaching model and practical experience for cultivating talents under the background of emerging engineering education.