Mica glass-ceramics is a composite material composed of lamellar or needle-shaped mica crystals and a glass phase.It originates from the K₂O-MgO-MgF₂-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ system, which has been developed by incorporating various additives. This process makes the mica crystal as the main crystal phase, forming glass-ceramics with special lamellar structure. The progress in composition system, preparation method, properties and applications of mica glass-ceramics are systematically introduced.Special attention is paid to their unique machinable properties. Their lamellar structure gives it excellent machinable characteristics, enabling it to be made into components with precise size, precise fit and complex shape by using various processing means. Mica glass-ceramics exhibit applications in the fields of biological tissue, high-precision structural parts, vacuum electronic devices, etc. Finally, the development trend of mica glass-ceramics is prospected.

For more than 100 years, borosilicate glass has been the preferred material for pharmaceutical packaging all around the world. With continuous development of modern medicine industry, new drugs emerge one after another, so that the safety problem of borosilicate glass in the process of liquid medicine packaging and storage becomes increasingly prominent. In the process of long-term contact with liquid medicines, especially alkaline ones, there are risks of peeling, particulate matter generation, drug failure and so on. Therefore, chemical stability of borosilicate glass, especially alkali resistance, needs to be further improved.The global spread of COVID-19 has further accelerated the development and production of high-quality borosilicate glass and new medical packaging glass in the world. Five aspects were systematically summarized in this article, including (Ⅰ) classification of pharmaceutical packaging glass circulating in the market, (Ⅱ) application fields and representative compositions of various commercial glass, (Ⅲ) key preparation processes of high quality borosilicate glass, (Ⅳ) correlations between composition,structure and property, (Ⅴ) composition and properties of novel aluminum silicate pharmaceutical packaging glasses.

Pure KNO₃ was selected as the molten salt, while one-step and two-step methods were used for ion-exchange of ultra-thin aluminosilicate glass for applications in cell phone displays. The distribution of ion concentration in the ion-exchanged glass was characterized by using EDS. The effects of ion-exchange process on depth of the compressive stress layer (DOL), surface compressive stress (CS), Vickers hardness, density, transmittance and chemical stability of the glass were systematically studied. It is found that the increase in ion-exchange temperature and time as favorable to the DOL, CS and Vickers hardness. However, when the temperature exceeded 400 ℃ and the time exceeded 2 h, the CS and Vickers hardness decreased sharply due to the stress relaxation effect. With the two-step method, the ion concentration gradient was raised, which further improved the CS and Vickers hardness. The ion-exchange process increased density and chemical stability of the glass without reducing the transmittance. These findings are useful for the strengthening of ultra-thin glass for cell phone display applications.

Low thermal expansion ceramics are defined as ceramic materials with a thermal expansion coefficient below 2.0×10^-6 ℃^-1. Compared to other conventional ceramics, these materials exhibit exceptional resistance to high temperatures and thermal shock, maintaining stability in complex environments characterized by high temperatures and abrupt temperature changes. They find widespread application in various fields, including refractory materials, catalyst carriers, electronic devices, and aerospace. This article reviews the classification, preparation methods, and application domains of low thermal expansion ceramics, and examines the research advancements of several common types such as cordierite, aluminum titanate, NaZr₂(PO₄)₃, and lithium ceramics. Additionally, the article discusses the development trends in this field.

MXenes have received extensive attention from scholars due to their unique layered structure, significant electrical conductivity, and excellent mechanical properties. In addition to their pristine forms, they could also be incorporated with other components for attaining hybrids and nanocomposites, accompanying with amplified functionalities. It has been widely used in lithium batteries, supercapacitors, electromagnetic shielding, tumor therapy, biosensors, photocatalysis, and other fields, and has shown great application potential in energy conversion and storage. The purpose of this article is to encyclopaedically overview the latest progress in synthesis and characterization of MXenes, while their potential applications in energy conversation such as water splitting and solar cells, as well as in energy storage such as Li-ion batteries, supercapacitors, and hydrogen energy will be comprehensively elaborated. Development opportunities and challenges are summarized.