Transparent wood has potential not only as a sustainable substitute for glass, but also as a multifunctional energy material whose value lies in the integration of diffuse light management, thermal insulation, mechanical load bearing and sustainability. Its widespread adoption will require application-driven design, realistic durability assessments and alignment with standards.
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Acknowledgements
The AI-TRANSPWOOD project, HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01-23 (grant agreement 101138191), is gratefully acknowledged. This project is co-founded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HaDEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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Malucelli, G., Mariani, A. & Nuvoli, D. The promise of transparent wood as a multifunctional energy material. Nat Rev Mater (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-026-00901-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-026-00901-x
