Delignification Pathways for the Engineering of Nanostructured Wood

New materials derived from the delignification of wood are gaining recognition due to their promising performance in a wide range of applications. By partially or completely removing lignin and hemicellulose, a variety of functional materials are prepared, such as transparent wood, densified wood, aerogels, and composites. However, the selection of processing methods remains largely empirical and lacks standardized guidelines to optimize processes. Therefore, herein we critically evaluate the chemical strategies that are employed for the removal of the noncellulosic components of wood, correlating process parameters with resulting structural, mechanical, and optical properties. Emphasis is placed on the role of residual lignin and hemicellulose in determining material performance. Finally, a framework is proposed to guide the rational design of nanostructured wood materials with predictable and tunable characteristics, paving the way for their systematic and scalable development in advanced applications.