Exploring catalytic behaviors of CoS_(2)-ReS_(2) heterojunction by interfacial engineering

Herein, a stable and efficient CoS_(2)-ReS_(2) electrocatalyst is successfully constructed by using the different molar ratios of CoS_(2) on ReS_(2). The size and morphology of the catalysts are significantly changed after the CoS_(2) is grown on ReS_(2), providing regulation of the catalytic activity of ReS_(2). Particularly, the optimized CoS_(2)-ReS_(2) shows superior electrocatalytic properties with a low voltage of 1.48 V at 20 mA cm^(-2) for overall water splitting in 1.0 M KOH, which is smaller than the noble metal-based catalysts(1.77 V at 20 mA cm^(-2)). The XPS, XAS, and theoretical data confirm that the interfacial regulation of ReS_(2) by CoS_(2) can provide rich edge catalytic sites, which greatly optimizes the catalytic kinetics and drop the energy barrier for oxygen/hydrogen evolution reactions. Our results demonstrated that interfacial engineering is an efficient route for fabricating high-performance water splitting electrocatalysts.

Present and Future of Phase‑Selectively Disordered Blue TiO2 for Energy and Society Sustainability

Titanium dioxide(TiO2)has garnered attention for its promising photocatalytic activity,energy storage capability,low cost,high chemical stability,and nontoxicity.However,conventional TiO2 has low energy harvesting efficiency and charge separation ability,though the recently developed black TiO2 formed under high temperature or pressure has achieved elevated performance.The phase-selectively ordered/disordered blue TiO2(BTO),which has visible-light absorption and efficient exciton disassociation,can be formed under normal pressure and temperature(NPT)conditions.This perspective article first discusses TiO2 materials development milestones and insights of the BTO structure and construction mechanism.Then,current applications of BTO and potential extensions are summarized and suggested,respectively,including hydrogen(H2)production,carbon dioxide(CO2)and nitrogen(N2)reduction,pollutant degradation,microbial disinfection,and energy storage.Last,future research prospects are proposed for BTO to advance energy and environmental sustainability by exploiting different strategies and aspects.The unique NPT-synthesized BTO can offer more societally beneficial applications if its potential is fully explored by the research community.

Dislocated Character Affirmation——A Case Study of Young Female Gamers' Identity in Online Games

What are the real intentions of young women to play online games? Can they benefit more than just entertainment? Based on a 2-year followup survey of a young female online gamer, this paper explores the inner experiences of a young female gamers. Findings indicate that young female Chinese gamers attach importance to the choice of characters in the world of online games and that they establish a sense of identity in virtual space through character affirmation and interactions with other gamers. For young female gamers, who are eager to temporarily escape from reality, playing online games is a positive psychological compensation and a process for building self-confidence.

Direct imaging of the near field and dynamics of surface plasmon resonance on gold nanostructures using photoemission electron microscopy

Localized surface plasmon resonance(LSPR)can be supported by metallic nanoparticles and engineered nanostructures.An understanding of the spatially resolved near-field properties and dynamics of LSPR is important,but remains experimentally challenging.We report experimental studies toward this aim using photoemission electron microscopy(PEEM)with high spatial resolution of sub-10 nm.Various engineered gold nanostructure arrays(such as rods,nanodisk-like particles and dimers)are investigated via PEEM using near-infrared(NIR)femtosecond laser pulses as the excitation source.When the LSPR wavelengths overlap the spectrum of the femtosecond pulses,the LSPR is efficiently excited and promotes multiphoton photoemission,which is correlated with the local intensity of the metallic nanoparticles in the near field.Thus,the local field distribution of the LSPR on different Au nanostructures can be directly explored and discussed using the PEEM images.In addition,the dynamics of the LSPR is studied by combining interferometric time-resolved pump-probe technique and PEEM.Detailed information on the oscillation and dephasing of the LSPR field can be obtained.The results identify PEEM as a powerful tool for accessing the near-field mapping and dynamic properties of plasmonic nanostructures.