Simple Approach For Fabrication Research Articles

Leidenfrost Effect-Induced Chaotic Vortex Flow for Efficient Mixing of Highly Viscous Droplets.

Efficiently mixing highly viscous liquids in microfluidic systems is appealing for green chemistry such as chemical synthesis and catalysis, but it is a long-standing challenge owing to the unfavorable diffusion kinetics. In this work, a new strategy is explored for mixing viscous droplets by harnessing a peculiar Leidenfrost state, where the substrate temperature is above the boiling point of the liquid without apparent liquid evaporation. Compared to the control experiment where the droplet stays at a similar temperature but in the contact boiling regime, the mixing time can be reduced significantly. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the liquid mixing originates from the chaotic convection flow in the Leidenfrost droplet, characterized by the internal vortex motion evidenced by the microscale visualization. A correlation between mixing time and droplet volume is also proposed, showing a good agreement with experimental results. It is further shown that Leidenfrost droplets can be used to synthesize nanoparticles of the desired morphology, and it is anticipated that this simple and scalable fabrication approach will find applications in the biological, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries.

An efficient pressure sensor based on environmental-friendly CNTs-graphene-PDMS film

Given the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, there is an escalating demand for wearable sensors. An efficient graphene-based material synthesized from the mesophase pitch of waste slurry oil was integrated into a cost-effective piezoresistive pressure sensor consisting of a conductive film made of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, and Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). A simple fabrication approach has been suggested to infuse PDMS with CNTs-graphene, resulting in a pressure sensor exhibiting superior conductivity, enhanced sensitivity, and quick responsiveness to diverse pressure variations. Moreover, films containing varying percentages of graphene were compared. Scanning electron microscopy was utilized to examine the surface and structural characteristics of the CNTs-graphene-PDMS film, alongside studying the pressure sensor's sensing capabilities. Various applications were examined for both the individual sensor and the array of sensors. The findings demonstrate the successful detection of diverse human motions, Morse code recognition, and effective discernment of various pressures by the fabricated pressure sensor, indicating its potential for applications in smart devices, robotics, and wearable sensors.

Robust and repairable PET superwicking surfaces: A simple two-step fabrication approach for enhanced liquid transport

Superwicking surfaces stand out for their superior wicking abilities that expedite liquid flow across their structural form. The surface has attracted significant attention due to its promising applications in water harvesting, thermal management, biomedical fields, and more. However, minimizing manufacturing costs while ensuring long-term stability remains a challenge in the production of superwicking surfaces and enhancing their applications. This study presents the development of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) superwicking surfaces using a straightforward two-step technique with sandpaper abrasion and nanocomposite coating of TiO2-SiO2. Superwicking performance was evaluated through droplet spread analysis, contact angle measurements, and water drying tests. Results exhibited a more than 100% rise in absorbed water film thickness on the 180-grit abraded superwicking surface versus the coating on raw PET. Additionally, a 10μl droplet displayed more than triple the spreading diameter. Sandpaper abrasion, high-pressure water impact, and outdoor stability tests appraised surface durability. The PET superwicking surface showed enhanced mechanical durability and outdoor stability, attributed to protective microgrooves and photocatalytic self-cleaning capacity. The findings of this study clearly address the high cost, instability, and extreme lack of durability associated with conventional superwicking surface preparation. More importantly, the developed self-repairing capability of the surface allows it to be restored by reapplying the spray coating after the nanoparticles have been worn away due to heavy use. This advancement will significantly promote the use of such surfaces in heat transfer and self-cleaning applications.

Fabrication of acetazolamide loaded leciplex for intraocular delivery: Optimization by 32 full factorial design, in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo pharmacodynamics

The complex structure of the eye poses challenges in delivering drugs effectively, which can be circumvented by employing nanotechnologies. The present study aimed to prepareacetazolamide-loadedleciplex (ACZ − LP) using a simple one-step fabrication approach followed byoptimization employing a 32 Full Factorial Design. The ACZ – LP demonstrated high entrapment efficiency (93.25 ± 2.32 %), average diameter was recorded around 171.03 ± 3.32 with monodisperse size distribution and zeta potential of 41.33 ± 2.10 mV. Invitro release and ex vivo permeation studies of prepared formulation demonstrated an initial burst release in 1 h followed by sustained release pattern as compared to plain acetazolamide solution. Moreover, an ex vivo corneal drug retention (27.05 ± 1.20 %) and in vitro mucoadhesive studies with different concentration of mucin indicated strong electrostatic bonding confirming the mucoadhesive characteristics of the formulation. Additionally, the histopathological studies ensured that the formulation was non-irritant and nontoxic while and HET-CAM ensured substantial tolerability of the formulation. The in vivo pharmacodynamic investigation carried out on a rabbit model demonstrated that treatment with ACZ − LP resulted in a significant and prolonged reduction in intraocular pressure as compared to plain acetazolamide solution, acetazolamide oral tablet, and Brinzox®. In summary, the ACZ − LP is anefficient and versatile drug delivery approach which demonstrates significant potential in controlling glaucoma.

Highly Sensitive, Stretchable, and Adjustable Parallel Microgates‐Based Strain Sensors

AbstractThe demand for stretchable strain sensors with customizable sensitivities has increased across a spectrum of applications, spanning from human motion detection to plant growth monitoring. Nevertheless, a major challenge remains in the digital fabrication of scalable and cost‐efficient strain sensors with tailored sensitivity to diverse demands. Currently, there is a lack of simple digital fabrication approaches capable of adjusting strain sensitivity in a controlled way with no changes to the material and without affecting the linearity. In this study, parallel microgates‐based strain sensors whose strain sensitivity can be adjusted systematically throughout an all‐laser‐based fabrication process without any material replacement are presented. The technique employs a two‐step direct laser writing method that combines the well‐established capabilities of laser ablation and laser marking, boasting a varying gauge factor of up to 433% (GF = 168), while paving the way for the mass production of nanocomposite strain sensors. Parallel microgates‐based strain sensors exhibit a remarkable signal‐to‐noise ratio at ultralow strains (ɛ = 0.001), rendering them ideal for monitoring the gradual growth of plants. As an application demonstration, the proposed sensors are deployed on tomato plants to capture their growth under varying planting conditions including hydroponic and soil mediums, as well as diverse irrigation regimens.

Flexible piezoresistive pressure sensor based on a graphene-carbon nanotube-polydimethylsiloxane composite

Flexible sensors are used widely in wearable devices, specifically flexible piezoresistive sensors, which are common and easy to manipulate. However, fabricating such sensors is expensive and complex, so proposed here is a simple fabrication approach involving a sensor containing microstructures replicated from a sandpaper template onto which polydimethylsiloxane containing a mixture of graphene and carbon nanotubes is spin coated. The surface morphologies of three versions of the sensor made using different grades of sandpaper are observed, and the corresponding pressure sensitivities and linearity and hysteresis characteristics are assessed and analyzed. The results show that the sensor made using 80-mesh sandpaper has the best sensing performance. Its sensitivity is 0.341 kPa−1 in the loading range of 0–1.6 kPa, it responds to small external loading of 100 Pa with a resistance change of 10%, its loading and unloading response times are 0.126 and 0.2 s, respectively, and its hysteresis characteristic is ∼7%, indicating that the sensor has high sensitivity, fast response, and good stability. Thus, the presented piezoresistive sensor is promising for practical applications in flexible wearable electronics.

Biomineralization induced synthesis and self-assembly of photocatalyst-enzyme hybrid system for highly efficient environmental remediation

The photocatalyst-enzyme hybrid systems (PEHSs) provided a promising method for environmental remediation by simultaneously harnessing the power of solar-energy conversion and biocatalysis. However, the use of PEHSs for environmental remediation was restricted by a complicated synthesis and assembly process. This work explored a simple one-pot biomineralization approach to fabricate PEHS. It was found that the cytochrome enzyme could be directly self-assembled onto the biosynthesized CdS during biomineralization by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. More strikingly, those attached cytochrome enzymes could efficiently receive the photoelectrons from the CdS and serve as the photoreduction center which formed a typical PEHS. Impressively, this bio-CdS-cytochrome PEHS exhibited an extremely high photocatalytic decolorization rate of 69.4 mg/g/min, which was the highest record ever reported for procion red H-E3B. This work provided a simple and facile approach for PEHSs fabrication, which would be promising for practical application in environmental remediation.

Efficient fabrication of anisotropic regenerated cellulose films from bamboo via a facile wet extrusion strategy

Bamboo, featuring fast growth rate and high cellulose content, is considered to be one of the most attractive feedstocks for degradable bio-materials as a substitute for plastics. However, those was limited to the fields of bamboo structural materials mainly by physical processes. Herein, we report a facile continuous wet extrusion strategy for scalable manufacturing of anisotropic regenerated cellulose films in alkali/urea aqueous solution for the first time. The bamboo cellulose solution was regenerated in H2SO4/Na2SO4/ZnSO4 aqueous solution to facilitate the construction of dense fibrils networks. Moreover, under the synergistic effect of shear orientations and stretching processes in wet extrusion molding, the cellulose networks promoted further orientated assembly into aligned fibrils. Therefore, these anisotropic cellulose hydrogels exhibited good mechanical properties, and the tensile strength was increased from 1.67 MPa of anisotropic cellulose hydrogel with 1.0 of stretching ration (ACH-1.0) to 2.13 MPa of ACH-1.4 with increasing stretching ratio from 1.0 to 1.4, which was about 1.34 times higher than that of the isotropic hydrogel fabricated by tape-casting. Moreover, ACH-1.4 exhibited commendable thermal stability and air barrier properties. This work demonstrated a simple and continuous bottom-up approach for fabrication of anisotropic bamboo-based cellulose hydrogels and films with excellent mechanical properties.

Fabrication of biocompatible and biodegradable cloth-based sweat sensors using polylactic acid (PLA) via stencil transparent film-printing

Cloth-based sensors are gaining attention for creating microfluidic wearable sensors for continuous monitoring of sweat biomarkers because of their flexibility, low cost, and natural hydrophilicity making them suitable for integration into everyday products. Here, we present a novel, low-cost and simple fabrication approach to create a cloth-based sensor ready for use as a sweat sensor while being environmentally friendly using biocompatible and biodegradable material, polylactic acid (PLA), and a stencil transparent film-printing method. The method provided high-resolution structures with narrowest hydrophilic channels and hydrophobic barriers measuring 1.90 ± 0.34 mm and 1.23 ± 0.14 mm, respectively. Various designs for detecting sweat biomarkers, including pH, lactate, and chloride, were generated by simply adjusting the stencil transparent film designs. For pH detection, a square-shaped cloth-based sensor was constructed and different natural indicators was used as biocompatible and non-toxic reagents to measure pH providing the detection in the pH range of 1–14. In lactate determination, an enzymatic assay with nanoceria as colorimetric probes was used in a spot format, offering a lactate detection range of 2.5–25 mM, effectively distinguishing between normal and abnormal muscle fatigue patients at a cut-off level of 12.5 mM sweat lactate. For chloride, a distance-based format was employed using the reverse Mohr titration assay, resulting in a detection range of 10–100 mM. Finally, the analysis of lactate and chloride in artificial sweat was successfully demonstrated yielding the recovery in the acceptable range demonstrating accurate measurements of the fabricated cloth-based sensors.

Shrinking Devices: Shape-Memory Polymer Fabrication of Micro-and Nanostructured Electrodes.

Since their discovery in the 1940s, shape memory polymers (SMPs) have been used in a broad spectrum of applications for research and industry.[1] SMPs can adopt a temporary shape and promptly return to their original form when submitted to an external stimulus. They have proven useful in fields such as wearable and stretchable electronics,[2] biomedicine,[3] and aerospace..[4] These materials are attractive and unique due to their ability to "remember" a shape after being submitted to elastic deformation. By combining the properties of SMPs with the advantages of electrochemistry, opportunities have emerged to develop structured sensing devices through simple and inexpensive fabrication approaches. The use of electrochemistry for signal transduction provides several advantages, including the translation into inexpensive sensing devices that are relatively easy to miniaturize, extremely low concentration requirements for detection, rapid sensing, and multiplexed detection. Thus, electrochemistry has been used in biosensing,[5] pollutant detection,[6] and pharmacological[7] applications, among others. To date, there is no review that summarizes the literature addressing the use of SMPs in the fabrication of structured electrodes for electrochemical sensing. This review aims to fill this gap by compiling the research that has been done on this topic over the last decade.

Mechanically robust, compressible, and photothermal silane/reduced graphene oxide modified plant fiber sponge for highly efficient cleanup of crude oil spill

Developing solar-assisted self-heating hydrophobic absorbents for efficient cleanup of viscous crude oil spills is attracting attention. However, using a simple, environment-friendly, and scalable fabrication approach to prepare solar-heating absorbent remains a big challenge. Due to the viscosity of crude oil can enormously decrease with increasing temperature, the self-heating absorbent which can in-situ raise the temperature to decrease the viscosity of crude oil shows potential application in accelerating the absorption and recovery of crude oil. Here, a hydrophobic and photothermal reduced graphene oxide and hexamethyldisilane synergistically modified plant fiber sponge (PFS@rGO@HMDS) is developed by an easy and efficient mechanical foaming strategy combined with in-situ vapor and thermal reduction treatment. The obtained PFS@rGO@HMDS exhibits good hydrophobicity (135° in water contact angle), excellent mechanical compressibility and durability, high solar absorption (>97.84 %), and oil absorptive capacity (27.3–52.0 g/g). Benefiting from the excellent photothermal conversion capacity, the surface temperature at the equilibrium of PFS@rGO@HMDS can reach 71.2 °C under 1 sun irradiation to reduce the viscosity of crude oil and realize the rapid crude oil spill remediation. The PFS@rGO@HMDS also can be used in a continual absorbent system to accomplish the ongoing and quick repair of viscous oil spills from the seawater surface, showcasing its enormous potential for use in huge-scale oil spill clean-up and recovery.

Unveiling the redox electrochemical kinetics of interconnected wrinkled microspheres of binary Cu2-xSe/Ni1-xSe as battery-type electrode for advanced supercapatteries

Developing a rational design of nanoarchitechtures with excellent electrochemical behaviors is an ultimate and unique strategy to enhance the redox electrokinetics of battery-type electrode materials. Herein, we demonstrate a hierarchical composite comprising interconnected wrinkled micro-solid sphere (ICWMS)-like binary copper selenide/nickel selenide over nickel foam (Cu2-xSe/Ni1-xSe/NF) prepared via a wet chemical synthetic protocol and utilized as an effective positrode for improved supercapaterry performance. The binary Cu2-xSe/Ni1-xSe/NF electrode considerably improved the electroactive surface area and facilitated ultrafast redox electrochemistry in an alkaline electrolyte medium. Remarkably, the binary Cu2-xSe/Ni1-xSe/NF electrode afforded the highest specific capacity of 368 ± 1C/g at 1 A/g greater than that of pristine single selenide electrodes (Cu2Se and NiSe) in a three-electrode setup which might be attributed to its large surface area, synergism between Ni and Cu, and specific morphology. Moreover, a coin cell supercapattery with the binary Cu2-xSe/Ni1-xSe/NF positrode and a porous activated carbon-on-nickel-foam negatrode was constructed, which exhibited excellent energy-storage characteristics in terms of capacity (87.5 ± 1 mAh/g), specific energy (39.3 Wh kg−1), specific power (450 W kg−1), and capacity retention (91.8 %). This simple fabrication approach of hierarchically designed Cu2-xSe/Ni1-xSe/NF paves the way for utilizing it as the promising positrode for high-performance supercapattery.

New PMMA-Based Hydroxyapatite/ZnFe2O4/ZnO Composite with Antibacterial Performance and Low Toxicity.

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is the most commonly used bone void filler in orthopedic surgery. However, the biocompatibility and radiopacity of PMMA are insufficient for such applications. In addition to insufficient biocompatibility, the microbial infection of medical implants is one of the frequent causes of failure in bone reconstruction. In the present work, the preparation of a novel PMMA-based hydroxyapatite/ZnFe2O4/ZnO composite with heterophase ZnFe2O4/ZnO NPs as an antimicrobial agent was described. ZnFe2O4/ZnO nanoparticles were produced using the electrical explosion of zinc and iron twisted wires in an oxygen-containing atmosphere. This simple, highly productive, and inexpensive nanoparticle fabrication approach could be readily adapted to different applications. From the findings, the presented composite material showed significant antibacterial activity (more than 99% reduction) against P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and MRSA, and 100% antifungal activity against C. albicans, as a result of the combined use of both ZnO and ZnFe2O4. The composite showed excellent biocompatibility against the sensitive fibroblast cell line 3T3. The more-than-70% cell viability was observed after 1-3 days incubation of the sample. The developed composite material could be a potential material for the fabrication of 3D-printed implants.

Gelatin-assisted fabrication of reduced nanographene oxide for dual-modal imaging of melanoma cells

In this work we report a gelatin-based, simple two-steps approach for fabrication of reduced graphene oxide (rGO-GEL) possessing high stability and biocompatibility, as novel label-free intracellular contrast agents. Gelatin, a biopolymer that is known for its versatility, was employed not only to biocompatibilize the rGO, but also to prevent the aggregation of the GO nanosheets during the reduction process. To confirm the successful reduction process and the attachment of the gelatin to the rGO nanosheets, we employed multiple spectroscopic analyses such as FT-IR, Raman, UV–VIS and photoluminescence, while the morphology and the lateral dimensions of the resulting hybrid rGO-GEL were investigated by Scanning-Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM). Cellular toxicity test proved that the rGO-GEL nanoflakes are nontoxic for melanoma B16-F10 cells, even at high concentrations. Finally, the intracellular tracking after 24 h of treatment was performed by non-invasive Super-resolution re-scan confocal microscopy as well as Confocal Raman imaging, thus implementing our nanoflakes as a suitable contrast agent candidate for cellular imaging of interest.

Near index matching enables solid diffractive optical element fabrication via additive manufacturing

Diffractive optical elements (DOEs) have a wide range of applications in optics and photonics, thanks to their capability to perform complex wavefront shaping in a compact form. However, widespread applicability of DOEs is still limited, because existing fabrication methods are cumbersome and expensive. Here, we present a simple and cost-effective fabrication approach for solid, high-performance DOEs. The method is based on conjugating two nearly refractive index-matched solidifiable transparent materials. The index matching allows for extreme scaling up of the elements in the axial dimension, which enables simple fabrication of a template using commercially available 3D printing at tens-of-micrometer resolution. We demonstrated the approach by fabricating and using DOEs serving as microlens arrays, vortex plates, including for highly sensitive applications such as vector beam generation and super-resolution microscopy using MINSTED, and phase-masks for three-dimensional single-molecule localization microscopy. Beyond the advantage of making DOEs widely accessible by drastically simplifying their production, the method also overcomes difficulties faced by existing methods in fabricating highly complex elements, such as high-order vortex plates, and spectrum-encoding phase masks for microscopy.

A highly sensitive flexible pressure sensor based on laser-induced graphene and a composite dielectric structure

Pressure sensors are widely used in aerospace, mechanics, and medical electronics. Among them, capacitive pressure sensors with diversified electrode materials and dielectric microstructures have been extensively investigated for better performance. However, current prevailing construction strategies for pressure sensors mainly involve expensive metal electrodes and the complicated fabrication process for the microstructured dielectric layer. Here, we propose a flexible capacitive pressure sensor based on laser-induced graphene (LIG) and a composite dielectric structure with a quick and straightforward fabrication method. Due to the multiple deformation properties of porous graphene and air chambers, the sensor exhibits a wide working range between 0 Pa to 10.4 kPa, high sensitivity up to 2.52 kPa-1, and a detection limit as low as 1.2 Pa. The simple but precise fabrication approach offers a reliable structure for the sensor, thereby resulting in a rapid response and excellent cycling stability. On the basis of the outstanding comprehensive performance, our pressure sensors display great potential in practical applications such as health monitoring and motion detection.

An Edible Bistable Tilt Sensor Enabling Autonomous Operation of a Partially Eatable Rolling Robot

AbstractEdible electronics and robotics are emerging areas intimately bridging food science and engineering to deliver technology using food‐derived materials. Edible devices offer unprecedented opportunities thanks to features such as bioresorbability, nutritional value, associated taste, minimal toxicity, and sustainability. However, several challenges need to be addressed to bring edible devices closer to reality. Although prototypal edible sensors are available, rotation sensors—an essential component for orientation perception—are still missing. Integrating sensors, actuators, and structural components into an edible system also remains a challenge due to the lack of processes and standardization. Here the first edible tilt sensor is presented. Starting from a commercial nonedible bistable tilt sensor, each material is replaced with edible equivalents using simple and straightforward fabrication approaches. Its functionality is validated in the first implementation of an autonomous and partly edible rolling robot, which has a nutritional value of 807.5 kcal and integrates gelatin actuators, an array of tilt sensors, and an edible wheeled frame. The robot works in closed loop, perceiving its orientation and input for actuation from the sensors. These findings may pave the way to novel edible technologies, from drug delivery for wild animals to health applications.

Self-Assembled Microactuators Using Chiral Liquid Crystal Elastomers.

Materials that undergo reversible changes in form typically require top-down processing to program the microstructure of the material. As a result, it is difficult to program microscale, 3D shape-morphing materials that undergo non-uniaxial deformations. Here, a simple bottom-up fabrication approach to prepare bending microactuators is described. Spontaneous self-assembly of liquid crystal (LC) monomers with controlled chirality within 3D micromold results in a change in molecular orientation across thickness of the microstructure. As a result, heating induces bending in these microactuators. The concentration of chiral dopant is varied to adjust the chirality of the monomer mixture. Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) microactuators doped with 0.05 wt% of chiral dopant produce needle-shaped actuators that bend from flat to an angle of 27.2 ± 11.3° at 180 °C. Higher concentrations of chiral dopant lead to actuators with reduced bending, and lower concentrations of chiral dopant lead to actuators with poorly controlled bending. Asymmetric molecular alignment inside 3D structure is confirmed by sectioning actuators. Arrays of microactuators that all bend in the same direction can be fabricated if symmetry of geometry of the microstructure is broken. It is envisioned that the new platform to synthesize microstructures can further be applied in soft robotics and biomedical devices.

Lignocellulose nanofibrils/guar gum-based ethylene scavenging composite film integrated with zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 for food packaging

Ethylene, a ripening hormone, is critical in limiting the shelf life of fresh produce, specifically climacteric fruits and vegetables. A simple and benign fabrication approach is used to transform sugarcane bagasse, an agro-industrial waste into lignocellulosic nanofibrils (LCNF). In this investigation, biodegradable film was fabricated using LCNF (extracted from sugarcane bagasse) and guar gum (GG) which was reinforced with zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF)-8/zeolite. The LCNF/GG film not only acts as a biodegradable matrix to hold the ZIF-8/zeolite composite, but also possesses ethylene scavenging, antioxidant, and UV-blocking properties. The characterization results suggested that pure LCNF showed antioxidant activity of around 69.55 %. The LCNF/GG/MOF-4 film has shown lowest UV-transmittance (5.06 %) and highest ethylene scavenging capacity (40.2 %) among all the samples. After 6 days of storage at 25 ± 2 °C, packaged control bananas samples underwent significant degradation. In contrast, a banana package consisting of LCNF/GG/MOF-4 film maintained their high quality in terms of colour. Fabricated novel biodegradable film has potential application prospects for being used in prolonging the shelf life of fresh produce.

Silicon nanosheets confined into nitrogen-doped porous carbon microcage enabling efficient lithium storage

Silicon (Si) is regarded as the promising next-generation commercial anode in high energy lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), attributed to its natural abundance, high theoretical capacity (4200 mAh g−1) and low voltage profile (<0.5 V). However, the huge volume change and tremendous capacity fading of silicon during lithiation/de-lithiation have been hindering its practical application. Herein, a facile and scalable method was proposed to prepare the Si nanosheets limited in 3D porous N-doped carbon micro cages (Si@NCM) particles with ternary oxygen-bridged covalent chemical bond, i.e., Si–O–C bonding. As a kind of anode materials, the Si@NCM rendered an extremely surprising reversible capacity of 930.2 mAh g−1 after 2000 cycles at a current density of 5 A g−1 at ambient temperature. More interestingly, it afforded an overwhelming capacity of 950.7 mAh g−1 after 3000 cycles at 20 A g−1 at 80 °C, with 89.8% capacity retention, and an excellent rate capability of 594.8 mAh g−1 at 50 A g−1. The impressive electrochemical performance was ascribed to its multi-scaled network structure and moderate covalent bonding, which enhanced Li+ diffusion kinetics and accommodated the volume expansion of the silicon. This simple fabrication approach holds great commercial possibility in practical application of next-generation advanced LIBs.