Engineered wood for a sustainable future

Wood, as one of the most abundant bioresources on the planet, holds great promise for providing green energy and materials for a sustainable future. The inherent mesoporous and hierarchical structure of wood provides ample opportunities for engineering this natural material using advanced nanotechnologies to achieve novel optical, thermal, and transport properties. In this Matter of Opinion, we outline the design principles and applications of engineered wood for energy-efficient buildings, solar desalination, wastewater purification, and energy conversion. Wood, as one of the most abundant bioresources on the planet, holds great promise for providing green energy and materials for a sustainable future. The inherent mesoporous and hierarchical structure of wood provides ample opportunities for engineering this natural material using advanced nanotechnologies to achieve novel optical, thermal, and transport properties. In this Matter of Opinion, we outline the design principles and applications of engineered wood for energy-efficient buildings, solar desalination, wastewater purification, and energy conversion.