The advancement of kilowatt-level laser lighting is hindered by poor thermal stability of YAG:Ce phosphors. AlN was introduced into YAG:Ce to fabricate AlN-YAG:Ce composite ceramics via powder-embedding nitrogen atmosphere sintering. The ceramic with 50 vol.% AlN achieves a thermal conductivity of 27.2 W·m^-1·K^-1—three times higher than pure YAG:Ce—while maintaining comparable luminescence. Under 1.3 W·mm^-2 blue laser excitation, the 10 vol.% AlN-YAG:Ce ceramic delivers a luminous efficacy of 200.1 lm·W^-1 and 4608 K. A 10 W blue laser prototype illuminates over 500 m, demonstrating strong potential for high-power laser-driven lighting.

Proton affinity or transfer is crucial in determining the activity and selectivity of the electroreduction of CO₂. However, optimizing proton supply during CO₂ reduction while simultaneously enhancing the activity of catalytic sites and inhibiting hydrogen evolution poses a significant challenge. It has been found that introduce another active site around the CO₂ reduction catalytic site to supply proton for the proton process has been proved been an effective strategy to modulate the leverage relationship in electrochemical CO₂ reduction (ECR).

Catalytic CO₂ utilization (CCU) offers a pathway to turn power plant emissions into valuable fuels and chemicals, but deploying these complex technologies has been hindered by safety and economic hurdles. A new review led by Xiansheng Li from China Datang Technology Innovation Co., Ltd. provides a pragmatic, three-tiered engineering framework to help utilities, investors, and policymakers navigate this challenge, offering a clear path from scientific concept to bankable project.

Conventional ceramic sintering is energy-intensive and often leads to uncontrolled grain growth. A new class of field-assisted sintering technologies—including hot oscillatory pressing, cold sintering, and ultrafast high-temperature sintering—is overcoming these limitations. By synergistically coupling temperature, mechanical, and electric fields, these methods achieve >99% relative density while preserving ultrafine microstructures. With energy savings up to 80% and compatibility with temperature-sensitive materials, these innovations are paving the way for next-generation high-performance ceramics and composites in 5G, solid-state batteries, and extreme environment applications.