Innovative fabrication of high-performance transparent wood from fast-growing poplar: Enhancing optical and mechanical properties

Transparent wood has emerged as a promising bio-based composite material for energy-efficient building and lighting application. This study presents an innovative and integrated approach combining delignification, hydrogen peroxide bleaching, mechanical compression, and epoxy resin impregnation to fabricate high-performance transparent wood from fast-growing poplar. The resulting material exhibits exceptional optical transparency, with a maximum transmittance of approximately 90%, and outstanding mechanical strength, achieving a tensile strength of 144.7 ± 4.2 MPa and a Young’s modulus of 2.92 ± 0.18 GPa. Furthermore, the incorporation of antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) nanoparticles enhances UV-shielding capability while simultaneously improving interfacial bonding between the polymer and nanocellulose template, leading to further improved mechanical properties (tensile strength of 154.3 ± 3.8 MPa, Young’s modulus of 4.31 ± 0.21 GPa). The prepared transparent wood also demonstrates good thermal stability, hydrophobicity (contact angle ∼105–110°), and moderately low thermal conductivity (∼0.31 W/(m·K)). Compared with conventional polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), this poplar-based transparent wood offers a more sustainable, mechanically robust, and multi-functional alternative, particularly suitable for applications such as advertising lightboxes and energy-saving windows. • Achieved a maximum transmittance of approximately 90%​ and a low haze of ∼ 61%, making the material highly transparent and comparable to PMMA. • The transparent wood exhibited outstanding tensile strength and Young's modulus, significantly surpassing PMMA. • Incorporation of antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) nanoparticles improved UV-shielding capability (blocking nearly all UVB and most UVA rays) and further boosted mechanical properties. • The material demonstrated high thermal stability and hydrophobic surface properties, enhancing its durability. • The use of fast-growing poplar and a streamlined, scalable process positions this transparent wood as a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative to conventional polymers like PMMA, with a carbon footprint less than a third of PMMA's.