The complex structure of wood, one of the most abundant biomaterials on Earth, has been optimized over 270 million years of tree evolution. This optimization has led to the highly efficient water and nutrient transport, mechanical stability and durability of wood. The unique material structure and pronounced anisotropy of wood endows it with an array of remarkable properties, yielding opportunities for the design of functional materials. In this Review, we provide a materials and structural perspective on how wood can be redesigned via structural engineering, chemical and/or thermal modification to alter its mechanical, fluidic, ionic, optical and thermal properties. These modifications enable a diverse range of applications, including the development of high-performance structural materials, energy storage and conversion, environmental remediation, nanoionics, nanofluidics, and light and thermal management. We also highlight advanced characterization and computational-simulation approaches for understanding the structure–property–function relationships of natural and modified wood, as well as informing bio-inspired synthetic designs. In addition, we provide our perspective on the future directions of wood research and the challenges and opportunities for industrialization.

木材是地球上最丰富的生物材料之一，其复杂的结构在2.7亿年的树木进化过程中得到了优化。这种优化导致了木材高效的水分和养分传输，机械稳定性和耐久性。木材独特的材料结构和明显的各向异性赋予了它一系列显着的性能，为功能材料的设计提供了机会。在这篇评论中，我们提供了材料和结构的观点，说明如何通过结构工程，化学和/或热改性来重新设计木材，以改变其机械，流体，离子，光学和热性能。这些修改可实现多种应用，包括开发高性能结构材料，储能和转换，环境修复，纳米离子，纳米流体以及光和热管理。我们还将重点介绍先进的表征和计算模拟方法，以了解天然和改性木材的结构-性能-功能关系，并为生物启发性的合成设计提供信息。此外，我们就木材研究的未来方向以及工业化的挑战和机遇提供了观点。