1. Silica aerogels with accurate building-block control can be realized by adjusting the surfactant concentration during the synthesis process.
2. The resulting silica aerogel monolith with spherical building blocks of ≈24–40 nm is suitable for laser-driven lighting due to its low coefficient of illuminance variation, low speckle contrast, and high illuminance uniformity.
3. Silica aerogel has excellent thermal stability, high laser-damage threshold, outstanding mechanical performance, and superhydrophobicity which makes it suitable for long-distance and noncontact laser-driven lighting in rain or underwater without any additional encapsulation components.
The article “Elaborate Size‐Tuning of Silica Aerogel Building Blocks Enables Laser‐Driven Lighting” by Ji (2022) is a reliable source of information about the potential applications of silica aerogels in laser-driven lighting. The article provides a comprehensive overview of the synthesis process used to create silica aerogels with different building block sizes, as well as an in-depth discussion of their optical properties and potential applications in laser-driven lighting. The author also provides evidence to support their claims through data from experiments such as N2 sorption isotherms, SAXS spectrograms, SEM and TEM images, TGA curves, compressive stress–strain curves, antifouling demonstration tests in muddy water, etc., which adds credibility to their arguments. Furthermore, the article does not appear to be biased or one-sided; instead it presents both sides equally by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of using silica aerogels for laser-driven lighting. Additionally, the article does not contain any promotional content or partiality towards any particular product or company; instead it focuses solely on providing an objective overview of the potential applications of silica aerogels in laser-driven lighting. Finally, possible risks associated with using silica aerogels are noted throughout the article; however more research needs to be done to fully understand these risks before they can be properly addressed.