Wood-Based and Wood-Inspired Thermal Management Materials†

Given the global resource constraints and substantial energy consumption, the innovative development of efficient and precise thermal management materials represents a significant step forward in improving energy efficiency and promoting ecological and environmental sustainability. The unique structure of natural wood with its porous anisotropy provides new insights and strategies for the design of advanced thermal management materials. However, present reviews often fail to provide a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the inherent structural advantages, as well as the strategies pertinent to the construction and utilization of wood-based and biomimetic materials. This review explores the evolution of wood and its biomimetic structures in the field of thermal management materials, detailing the basic structures and compositions of wood and timber, as well as explaining how these materials can be processed and constructed with physical/chemical strategies. In addition, we highlight recent advances in such materials in the fields of thermal insulation, radiative cooling, heat transfer, and thermal energy storage. Finally, we offer some unique insights on the challenges and future developments for the scale-up of the use of such materials, providing our perspectives on their potential for broader implementation.

Key Scientists

Wood-based and wood-inspired materials have achieved significant advancements in thermal management, owing to the sustained efforts of numerous scientists. In 1941, J. D. MacLean carried out the first systematic study on the thermodynamic properties of wood. In 2006, the freeze-drying method developed by Sylvain Deville paved the way for the emergence of biomimetic wood porous materials. In 2015, Lennart Bergstrom prepared biomimetic wood insulation materials via freeze-drying. In 2016, Liangbing Hu initiated a series of physical and chemical approaches, which propelled the development of wood-based thermal management materials. In 2017, Jian Li prepared a Magneto-thermal conversion wood-based material for thermal insulation. In 2022, Shuhong Yu developed an aerogel with a wood-inspired oriented channel structure for thermal insulation. In 2023, Yiqiang Wu developed a bionic skeleton wood-based thermal phase change material. In the same year, Chaoji Chen exploited 3D printing technology to develop biomimetic wood thermal management materials applicable to seawater evaporation.