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Three-dimensional-printed silicone rubber foams, with their designable and highly ordered pore structures, have shown exceptional potential for engineering applications, particularly in areas requiring energy absorption and cushioning. However, optimizing the mechanical properties of these foams through structural design remains a significant challenge. This study addresses this challenge by formulating the research question: How do different 3D-printed topologies and printing parameters affect the mechanical properties of silicone rubber foams, and how can we design a novel topological structure? To answer this, we explored the mechanical behavior of two common structures–simple cubic (SC) and face-centered tetragonal (FCT)–by varying printing parameters such as filament spacing, filament diameter, and layer height. Furthermore, we proposed a novel two-level 3D-printed structure, combining SC and FCT configurations to enhance performance. The results demonstrated that the two-level SC-SC structure exhibited a specific energy absorption of 8.2 to 21.0 times greater than the SC structure and 2.3 to 7.2 times greater than the FCT structure. In conclusion, this study provides new insights into the design of 3D-printed silicone rubber foams, offering a promising approach to developing advanced cushioning materials with superior energy absorption capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the harmfulness of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), it is important to develop NO 2 sensors with high responses and low limits of detection. In this study, we synthesize a novel SnO-Sn 3 O 4 heterostructure through a one-step solvothermal method, which is used for the first time as an NO 2 sensor. The material exhibits three-dimensional flower-like microparticles assembled by two-dimensional nanosheets, in situ -formed SnO-Sn 3 O 4 heterostructures, and large specific surface area. Gas sensing measurements show that the responses of the SnO-Sn 3 O 4 heterostructure to 500 ppb NO 2 are as high as 657.4 and 63.4 while its limits of detection are as low as 2.5 and 10 parts per billion at 75 °C and ambient temperature, respectively. In addition, the SnO-Sn 3 O 4 heterostructure has an excellent selectivity to NO 2 , even if exposed to mixture gases containing interferential part with high concentration. The superior sensing properties can be attributed to the in situ formation of SnO-Sn 3 O 4 p-n heterojunctions and large specific surface area. Therefore, the SnO-Sn 3 O 4 heterostructure having excellent NO 2 sensing performances is very promising for applications as an NO 2 sensor or alarm operated at a low operating temperature., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)