A major challenge in thermal-management and thermal-insulation technologies, across multiple industries, is the lack of materials that simultaneously offer low thermal conductivity, mechanical robustness, and scalable fabrication routes. An international team of researchers addresses this long-standing problem by demonstrating that ytterbium nitride alloying in aluminum nitride can dramatically reduce its thermal conductivity to near-amorphous levels without disrupting the crystalline structure. This provides a new industry-compatible solution for high-temperature insulation, cryogenic systems, and semiconductor thermal shielding.

The metal-F bond formed on the fluorinated BiVO₄ photoanode in a near-neutral electrolyte promotes the adsorption and activation of CH₃OH, thereby significantly enhancing both the efficiency and selectivity of its photoelectrochemical oxidation to HCHO.The metal-F bond formed on the fluorinated BiVO₄ photoanode in a near-neutral electrolyte promotes the adsorption and activation of CH₃OH, thereby significantly enhancing both the efficiency and selectivity of its photoelectrochemical oxidation to HCHO.