Transparent wood is a sustainable and innovative material with promising applications in energy-efficient construction, optical devices and design. The preparation process involves two key steps. First, lignin (the main light-absorbing component in wood) is removed while preserving the cellular structure. Second, the structure is infiltrated with materials whose refractive index closely matches that of cellulose to reduce light scattering. We are investigating both biopolymer solutions and in situ polymerizing monomers. However, the in situ polymerization approach offers better performance due to their lower viscosity and greater ability to uniformly fill the wood’s internal structure, resulting in improved transparency.
