Fig. 1.

(a) Condensation mechanism of silica particles; (b) surface modification reactions of silica particles; (c) EDS analysis (I was SEM image, II- IV were elemental maps, and V was spectrum) of nano-silica aerogel; (d) FT-IR spectrum and image of water contact angles test (inset) for nano-silica aerogel; (e) particle size analysis for the nano-silica aerogel; (f) SEM image of the nano-silica aerogel; (g) TEM image of the nano-silica aerogel; (h) nitrogen adsorption−desorption curve of the nano-silica aerogel; (i) pore size distribution (PSD) of the nano-silica aerogel.