Biomass-derived materials are green alternatives to synthetic plastics and other fossil-based materials. Lignin, an aromatic plant polymer, is one of the most appealing renewable material precursors for smart materials capable of responding to different stimuli. Here we review lignin-based smart materials, a research field that has seen a rapid growth during the last five years. We describe the main processing and chemical synthesis routes available for the fabrication of lignin-based smart materials, and focus on their use as sensors, biomedical systems, and shape-programmable materials. In addition to benchmarking their performance to the state of the art fossil counterparts, we identify challenges and future opportunities for the development of lignin-based smart materials towards new high-performance applications.

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基于木质素的智能材料：目前和未来应用的加工和合成路线图

生物质材料是合成塑料和其他基于化石的材料的绿色替代品。木质素是一种芳香族植物聚合物，是能够响应不同刺激的智能材料中最具吸引力的可再生材料前体之一。在这里，我们回顾一下基于木质素的智能材料，该领域在过去五年中迅速增长。我们描述了可用于制造木质素基智能材料的主要加工和化学合成路线，并重点介绍了它们用作传感器，生物医学系统和形状可编程材料的用途。除了将其性能与最先进的化石同行进行基准比较之外，我们还为木质素基智能材料向新型高性能应用的发展确定了挑战和未来机遇。