This comprehensive chemical experiment focuses on the preparation, characterization, and catalytic performance testing of nano-sized MnO₂ with four different crystal phases for the selective oxidation of bioethanol in the gas phase. The experiment covers the synthesis of inorganic nano-catalytic materials, catalyst structure and morphology characterization, catalytic performance evaluation, and kinetics analysis, adopting research-based teaching methods. The experiment not only cultivates students’ analytical and problem-solving skills but also fosters innovative thinking and research interest, inspiring students to contribute to the national “Double Carbon” goals and enhancing environmental awareness.

This paper analyzes the recent reforms and practices in the basic experimental courses of physical chemistry and reflects on the content transformation of these experiments. It introduces comprehensive design experiments in physical chemistry and summarizes their practical outcomes and developmental experiences. The paper argues that incorporating comprehensive design experiments into the basic physical chemistry curriculum has improved both the experimental content and teaching methods. This new innovation plays a crucial role in constructing a student-centered, competency-driven experimental teaching system in physical chemistry.

Entropy is a fundamental function in physical chemistry, and the calculation of entropy change serves as a basic criterion for determining the direction of processes. This paper discusses various methods for deriving the entropy change calculation formula in teaching, which can enhance instructional quality and improve learning outcomes. Additionally, the paper introduces the calculation of entropy change for real gases in chemical engineering, thereby broadening students’ knowledge and illustrating the close connection between physical chemistry and practical issues in chemical engineering.

The physical chemistry course encompasses numerous theories and complex formulas. The primary teaching goal is to enhance students’ interest in learning while deepening their understanding of theoretical concepts. This course frames the journey of knowledge discovery through the Gibbs function, integrating the biographies of key figures and guiding students to follow the footsteps of Nobel Prize laureates in their pursuit of truth and innovative thinking. Additionally, the course introduces cutting-edge aerospace cases, contributing to the development of outstanding aerospace professionals.

Physical chemistry is a foundational course for undergraduates majoring in chemistry, chemical engineering, and chemical materials. The nature of the course requires students to possess strong logical thinking skills. To address the challenges of mastering physical chemistry concepts and enhancing practical application abilities, we implemented a reform in the exercise-based lectures, tailored to the specific characteristics of our students. Based on the “Cone of Learning” theory, the reform incorporated project-based learning, continuous improvements in exercise sessions, and the integration of “micro-lessons” and “Internet+” strategies. This revised model is well-suited for our students and can serve as a reference for other local, application-oriented undergraduate institutions.

The “Ternary Liquid-Liquid Phase Diagram” is a fundamental experiment in physical chemistry. Mastery of this experiment is essential for students to comprehend the triangular coordinate system and the extraction principle, both of which are widely applied in industrial practices. This paper presents recommendations for improving the content and teaching approach of this experiment, addressing students’ lack of theoretical knowledge and superficial understanding of the experimental process. It proposes integrating a detailed explanation of phase diagram interpretation into the curriculum, emphasizing the relationship between component concentrations and the lengths of parallel line segments on the coordinate axes. This helps students better grasp the movement patterns of system points and the lever rule during the mixing process. Furthermore, the paper clarifies the teaching logic and connections between the ternary phase diagram, the movement of system points on the coordinate axes, and the relationships between component points on tie lines. These suggestions aim to enhance teaching efficiency and facilitate students’ deep understanding of the ternary liquid-liquid phase diagram.

The “Physical Chemistry Experiment” is a core foundational course for students majoring in chemistry, environmental science, and pharmaceutical sciences. Traditional offline experimental teaching methods are increasingly inadequate in meeting the general demands of talent development under the “emerging engineering education” framework. Moreover, these methods fail to address the unique needs of ethnic universities in training professionals who can serve ethnic regions. Consequently, reform and innovation in teaching are urgently needed. In response, the Physical Chemistry teaching team at Southwest Minzu University has developed a blended first-class course, “Physical Chemistry Experiment I”, which is recognized as a leading course in Sichuan Province. Key innovations in this course include the restructuring of the teaching model, enhancement of course content, diversification of teaching methods, and the development of a multidimensional assessment system. These innovations aim to achieve the threefold educational goals of “knowledge, skills, and values”. Furthermore, the team has established an evidence-based pedagogical research model that integrates "teaching reflection–teaching reform–classroom application–feedback”, offering a framework that can be applied to other chemistry experiment courses. The results and experiences gained can serve as a valuable reference for the development of high-quality blended experimental courses.

With advancements in computer hardware and software, computational chemistry has become an increasingly important research tool in fields such as chemistry and materials science. As a core subject in chemistry, physical chemistry is inherently connected to computational chemistry. Energy functions, including internal energy, enthalpy, and Gibbs free energy, are central topics in both classical and statistical thermodynamics, and they also play a key role in computational chemistry. Therefore, integrating quantum statistical thermodynamics into the teaching of classical thermodynamic energy functions, while highlighting their significance and computational methods in computational chemistry, can enhance students’ understanding of these functions’ essence and applications. This approach lays a strong foundation for students’ future studies in computational chemistry during their undergraduate years.

In traditional physical chemistry laboratory teaching, both educators and students tend to focus primarily on the enhancement of knowledge and skills, often neglecting the development of values. To address this issue, the teaching team adheres to the philosophy of “student-centered development, with a focus on cultivating abilities”. The curriculum aims to integrate knowledge, skills, and character through a “trinity” framework. A “three-stage progressive” approach to ideological and political education is implemented, alongside the establishment of a “six-theme” resource library for ideological content. Additionally, a “dual-combination” system is developed for evaluating the effectiveness of ideological and political education. This approach fosters a dynamic classroom environment where ideological education naturally permeates throughout the course, encouraging high levels of student participation, with the goal of achieving parallel growth in both students’ skills and value formation.

Physical Chemistry is a mandatory course for pharmacy majors, playing a crucial role in guiding both theoretical understanding and practical applications in drug research, production, quality control, and storage. As a first-class offline course in Guangdong Province, this curriculum implements a student-centered approach, based on the “one core, three integrations, and three enhancements” teaching philosophy. The course integrates deeply with ideological and political education, professional knowledge, and cutting-edge scientific research, aiming to stimulate students’ interest, enhance their problem-solving abilities, and foster innovative scientific thinking. Additionally, the course incorporates rich ideological elements, helping students to cultivate correct worldviews and values. Through this comprehensive curriculum, students’ knowledge, skills, and overall competence are significantly improved, preparing them to become innovative talents with both expertise and integrity.

In the reversible thermodynamic cycles, the relationship between temperature and entropy of the system can be expressed by the temperature–entropy diagram (T–S diagram), which can simultaneously visualize the heat absorbed from the surroundings and the work done by the system, and thus the ideal heat-to-work conversion efficiency can be theoretically calculated accordingly. This article summarizes the application of T–S diagram in the several classical thermodynamic cycles for heat-to-work conversion, and also introduces the recent advances in the new energy-harvesting processes from the low-grade heat sources based on the temperature and/or concentration effects of electrode potential under the direction of T–S diagram. The purpose of this article is to deepen people’s understanding and also to broaden the application range of T–S diagram.

This paper takes “Pb-Sn binary metal phase diagram” as a case study in Physical Chemistry Experiment to illustrate the integration of ideological and political education within the “Cognition-Learning-Practice-Reflection” framework. The course design seamlessly incorporates ideological and political elements into pre-class preview and perception, in-class practice and exploration, and post-class reflection and expansion. Blended teaching practices are implemented through the recording of instructional videos, the development of an online learning platform, the enhancement of evaluation and feedback systems, and the creation of spaces for innovative exchange. These efforts aim to achieve the holistic educational goals of “knowledge acquisition, skill development, and value shaping”. As a result, students are encouraged to build up cultural confidence, foster patriotic sentiment, enhance scientific literacy, and strengthen innovation consciousness, ultimately promoting comprehensive development.

In alignment with the principles of emerging engineering education, this study introduces a reformative approach and a new teaching model for the Physical Chemistry course, encapsulated in the “Deconstructing-Exploring-Constructing” methodology. The reform aims to foster core competencies in future engineering professionals by establishing high-efficiency classrooms. Key strategies include the development of course resources as a foundation, the implementation of innovative teaching models as a pivot, and the enhancement of students’ self-directed learning, scientific thinking, and innovative capabilities.

This study integrates computational chemistry to expand the traditional dipole moment measurement experiment found in physical chemistry textbooks. The potential energy curve is used to investigate possible structures of ethyl acetate, and the dipole moment is linked to these structures. Additionally, the impact of various conditions on the dipole moment calculation is explored. This approach allows for a microscopic analysis of macroscopic phenomena, aiding in the understanding of the relationship between molecular structure and properties. The experiment is designed with an integrated teaching-learning-evaluation framework and aligns with the principles of curriculum-based ideological and political education. Through case studies and knowledge exploration, the experiment effectively stimulates students’ interest and fosters critical scientific research skills.

“Physical Chemistry One” is a core compulsory theoretical course for undergraduates majoring in chemistry in normal universities. Its curriculum innovation faces the needs of the cultivation of national innovative talents and the cultivation of high-quality middle school chemistry teachers in the new era. Guided by the threedimensional talent training objectives of “knowledge”, “ability” and “meaning”, under the “online and offline” integrated teaching and four innovative measures, the current difficulties and problems faced by the course are effectively solved. The students’ learning motivation is effectively stimulated, and their innovative consciousness and comprehensive quality are significantly improved. The present research provides a useful reference for the effective development of professional basic theory course teaching.

Exploration and Practice of Ideological and Political Education in the basic theoretical course “Surface Physical Chemistry” for graduate students in the discipline of chemical engineering was conducted. By leveraging the research achievements and engineering application cases of our school relevant to the course content as the entry points for ideological and political education, we designed ideological and political contents, determined ideological and political goals, and developed a comprehensive “321” model that integrates the ideological and political education throughout the course. Guided by the “Spirit of the Congratulatory Letter” and the “Spirit of Harbin Institute of technology (HIT)”, we implemented a holistic approach to ideological and political education encompassing in-class, out-of-class, and extracurricular activities, which aligned the teaching and ideological goals of graduate courses with the demand for cultivating high-level leading talents.

This study emphasizes the perspective of emerging engineering education by centering on student development and aligning course objectives, using the design and fabrication of lithium-ion batteries as a case study. We aim to establish a novel model for comprehensive design experiment teaching by integrating virtual simulation with hands-on practice, combining in-class and extracurricular activities, and linking experimental teaching with college students’ innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives, as well as ideological and political education. By merging virtual simulation exercises with experimental practice, we can visualize key concepts such as the fundamental experimental principles, micro-electrode reaction mechanisms, dynamic aging processes, and ion transport mechanisms of lithium-ion batteries, thereby enhancing student engagement. Through collaborative group work, students are encouraged to independently design the overall experimental plan and procedures for lithium-ion batteries, which improves the effectiveness of the teaching through the “integration of virtuality and reality”. We incorporate cutting-edge academic research and industry needs into the curriculum to foster a tighter coupling between theoretical knowledge and practical application, as well as between experimental courses, scientific research activities, and innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives. This approach leads to the development of a “dual-channel” model for experimental teaching that complements both in-class and extracurricular learning. The assessment methodology employed throughout the process is comprehensive and multidimensional, effectively motivating students, enhancing their overall competencies, and developing their abilities in comprehensive design, independent analysis, and problem-solving, resulting in positive teaching outcomes.

Tianjin University, in collaboration with Qinghai Minzu University, which it supports, has jointly developed a new form textbook titled Physical Chemistry Experiments (Ideological & Political Edition and Case). The main content of the textbook not only includes handouts of the classic physical chemistry experiments, but also includes in-depth exploration and explanation of experimental theory, technology, phenomena, as well as cutting-edge knowledge and technology in related fields. It also provides typical cases of each experiment and ideological and political materials closely related to the experiments. At the same time, the videos of the key points in experimental operations, a part of ideological and political materials, and knowledge expansion materials are used to enhance and expand the printed version by digital technology. The new form has effectively enhanced the knowledge capacity of the textbook, and fits with the learning types of modern students. The textbook not only serves as a guide for experiments but also plays a dual role in practical education, providing a reference for the compilation of college textbooks for experiment or practice.

The study explores the scientific meaning of “directionality” in the Second Law of Thermodynamics, revealing two distinct interpretations: the unidirectionality of spontaneous changes and the bidirectionality of state changes. Through an analytical framework of the interactions between a closed system and its surrounding, the study elucidates the spontaneous changes’ unidirectionality as defined by the Second Law. Additionally, it highlights the bidirectional characteristics of state changes under different conditions (isothermal, isothermal-isochoric, isothermal-isobaric). A comprehensive analysis of the path characteristics of state changes in both forward and reverse directions is provided. Finally, practical examples demonstrates the essential role of thermodynamic laws in guiding the understanding of actual change processes, with the analysis serving as a reference for physical chemistry education.

This study presents a research-oriented comprehensive chemistry experiment designed to help undergraduate students in chemistry and related disciplines understand the physical effects of high-frequency ultrasound and its application in the preparation of thin film materials. The experiment, titled “Comprehensive Experiment on the Preparation of Polydopamine Films via High-Frequency Ultrasound”, primarily involves the detection of dopamine polymerization using an ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer at varying pH levels, as well as the characterization of resulting polydopamine films. Through this experiment, students will deepen their understanding of the physical effects associated with high-frequency ultrasound, gain insights into the mechanism of oxidative polymerization of dopamine, become proficient in the use of high-frequency ultrasound amplifiers, and reinforce their skills in commonly employed characterization techniques. By integrating theoretical knowledge with practical experimentation, this study aims to broaden students’ perspectives on chemical reaction enhancement methods while fostering their innovative capacities and scientific literacy.

Higher education should not only focus on imparting specialized knowledge but also emphasize the importance of students’ ideological and political education. This paper uses “Surface Tension” as a case study to explore the reform of ideological and political education within the curriculum, employing the BOPPPS teaching model. The study examines various aspects of this reform, including teaching objectives, teaching design, and teaching evaluation. By integrating ideological and political elements throughout the BOPPPS framework, the scientific content is enhanced. This approach aligns the transmission of knowledge with the guidance of ideological values, offering recommendations and strategies for the reform of physical chemistry education.

Addressing the current challenges in physical chemistry experimental teaching, we have developed a meticulous eight-component teaching framework guided by the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) concept. This framework breaks down the traditional three-step experimental teaching model of “pre-course preparation, classroom experiment, and post-course report” into eight distinct teaching segments, namely “course introduction, pre-course preparation, classroom flipping, course experiment, lab report, post-course enhancement, performance evaluation, and course discussion”. Through this segmentation, we have established an online-offline blended teaching system of “one concept + eight links” for physical chemistry experiments. The aim of this system is to drive effective teaching and learning by integrating knowledge dissemination, skill development, and critical thinking into each segment, fostering students’ independent thinking and autonomous learning abilities, enhancing their comprehensive innovative skills, and providing a reference for similar universities’ experimental teaching reforms.

Chemical thermodynamics is often perceived as abstract, making it challenging to integrate ideological cultivation into the curriculum. In this paper, we present our practice of seamlessly integrating ideological elements into the teaching of “chemical reaction heat” and share our experiences in achieving the holistic development of students’ knowledge, skills, and qualities.

The electrolysis of water is a crucial technology for extraterrestrial in situ resource utilization in the aerospace sector. Scientific research with unique university characteristics plays a vital role in fostering talent development. Adhering to the principle of integrating science and education, this study combines aerospace-focused scientific research with undergraduate teaching to design a research-oriented experimental course. The approach involves using a two-step method of hydrothermal oxidation and high-temperature phosphidation to fabricate nickel foam self-supported bimetallic phosphide electrodes with ultra-hydrophilic and super-hydrophobic surfaces suitable for the microgravity environment of aerospace space. The performance of hydrogen production from electrolyzed water is investigated. Additionally, relevant thermodynamic concepts from undergraduate physical chemistry courses are incorporated to engage students actively, encourage independent exploration, facilitate the construction of knowledge on extraterrestrial water electrolysis, and uphold the spirit of aerospace patriotism.

To advance the reform and innovation of physical chemistry and experimental teaching methods, this study explores the application of reverse teaching practices, focusing on chemical reaction kinetics. Utilizing the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework, the course design incorporates pre-setting learning objectives, establishing an evaluation system, and creating structured teaching segments to achieve efficient instruction. This reverse teaching practice not only enhances students’ self-directed learning and abilities in political thought, inquiry, and innovation but also aids in the construction of their knowledge systems. Additionally, it facilitates the transfer of knowledge, skills, principles, and attitudes, offering a novel approach to talent cultivation in higher education.

This study introduces mind mapping techniques and inquiry-based experiments into the physical chemistry curriculum, thereby establishing a connection between ideological and political elements and the subject matter of physical chemistry. This approach fosters students’ innovative thinking and scientific inquiry skills while enhancing their sense of social responsibility and pride. Using the topics of surface tension and surface Gibbs free energy as a case study, this paper outlines the implementation process of integrating ideological and political education into the teaching of physical chemistry.