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In Situ Lignin Modification toward Photonic Wood
Author(s) -
Xia Qinqin,
Chen Chaoji,
Yao Yonggang,
He Shuaiming,
Wang Xizheng,
Li Jianguo,
Gao Jinlong,
Gan Wentao,
Jiang Bo,
Cui Mingjin,
Hu Liangbing
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.202001588
Subject(s) - lignin , materials science , chromophore , photocatalysis , ultimate tensile strength , photonics , photodegradation , composite material , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , catalysis , optoelectronics , chemistry , engineering
Lignin serves as a binder that forms strong matrices of the cell walls of wood. However, it has many photolabile chromophore groups that create a monotonic brownish color and make wood susceptible to photodegradation. Herein, a new strategy is reported for modifying lignin using an in situ, rapid, and scalable process that involves the photocatalytic oxidation of native lignin in wood by H 2 O 2 and UV light. The reaction selectively eliminates lignin's chromophores while leaving the aromatic skeleton intact, thus modulating the optical properties of wood. The resulting “photonic wood” retains ≈80% of its original lignin content, which continues to serve as a strong binder and water‐proofing agent. As a result, photonic wood features a much higher mechanical strength in a wet environment (20‐times higher tensile strength and 12‐times greater compression resistance), significant scalability (≈2 m long sample), and largely reduced processing times (1–6.5 h vs 4–14 h) compared with delignification methods. Additionally, this in situ lignin‐modified wood structure is easily patterned through a photocatalytic oxidation process. This photocatalytic production of photonic wood paves the way for the large‐scale manufacturing of sustainable biosourced functional materials for a range of applications, including energy‐efficient buildings, optical management, and fluidic, ionic, electronic, and optical devices.