Editable shape-memory transparent wood based on epoxy-based dynamic covalent polymer with excellent optical and thermal management for smart building materials

Transparent wood (TW) with excellent optical and thermal management performance has been recently developed as a promising energy-efficient building material. Here, editable shape-memory TW (ESMTW) is developed through in situ polymerization of epoxy-based dynamic covalent polymers (EDCP) into a delignified wood scaffold. ESMTW possesses stiffness at low temperature and flexibility at high temperatures, while it exhibits excellent solid-state plasticity and shape-manipulation capability under thermal stimuli. Meanwhile, ESMTW shows unique light guiding and directional scattering effects, and the transmitted light intensity distribution is tunable owing to the shape-management capability. Additionally, the resultant TW possesses great thermal insulation properties. The combination of characteristics enables TW to exhibit great promise as an advanced functional and intelligent building material toward a sustainable society, especially for three-dimensional applications (e.g., curved or irregularly shaped glass, windows, ceilings, rooftops.). It may also provide new ideas for fabricating transparent and shape-editable optical/electronic devices. [GRAPHICS] .

Automated summary

Editable shape-memory transparent wood (ESMTW) has been developed as a promising building material with excellent optical and thermal management performance. It exhibits stiffness at low temperature and flexibility at high temperatures, and can be shaped and manipulated using thermal stimuli. ESMTW also demonstrates unique light guiding and scattering effects, and the transmitted light intensity distribution can be adjusted. With great thermal insulation properties, ESMTW holds great promise as an advanced functional and intelligent building material, particularly for three-dimensional applications, and may provide new ideas for fabricating transparent and shape-editable optical/electronic devices.