Silica or silica-precursor systems are attractive for the protection of wood against biotic and abiotic damages and for improvement of the fire resistance. Alkali metal silicate solutions, also known as water glasses, colloidal silica (nanosilica dispersions) and other inorganic–organic hybrids resulting from the sol-gel chemistry of alkoxysilane compounds, are products available for this purpose. These chemicals are increasingly considered to formulate wood modification products or to develop surface coatings. This review article is focused on in-depth treatments of wood through dipping, soaking or vacuum-pressure impregnation methods. The techniques used to convert monomers and low molecular weight silicate species in water glasses into less soluble and leaching-resistant silica particles, such as heat treatment, acid treatment and reactions with multivalent metal cation salts, are discussed. The similarities and differences between the various raw-impregnation materials and the properties of the final products are highlighted. Water glasses after appropriate curing, colloidal silica and tetraalkoxysilane-based formulations all lead to deposition of silica particles (SiO₂) at the surface of the cell walls, in lumens and pores. Low molecular weight organosilanes and other organo-modified formulations that are able to penetrate the wood cell walls and react with wood components are good dimensional stabilizers. The treated wood exhibits, in general, increased mechanical properties (strength, hardness) and improved resistance to biodegradation and fire retardancy. The efficiency of the treatments can significantly be enhanced to a level fulfilling the requirements for industrial applications by the addition of biocides, ultraviolet absorbers or antioxidants, fireproofing compounds (boron or phosphorus-based compounds, multivalent metal salts) and hydrophobic alkylalkoxysilanes. Silica acts as a barrier/support to many of these additives preventing them from leaching.

二氧化硅或二氧化硅前体体系对于保护木材免受生物和非生物损害以及提高耐火性具有吸引力。碱金属硅酸盐溶液，也称为水玻璃，胶体二氧化硅（纳米二氧化硅分散体）和其他由烷氧基硅烷化合物的溶胶-凝胶化学形成的无机-有机杂化物，都是可用于此目的的产品。人们越来越多地考虑使用这些化学药品来配制木材改性产品或开发表面涂料。这篇评论文章重点介绍了通过浸渍，浸泡或真空压力浸渍方法对木材进行的深度处理。用于将水玻璃中的单体和低分子量硅酸盐物质转化为难溶性和抗浸出性的二氧化硅颗粒的技术，例如热处理，讨论了酸处理和与多价金属阳离子盐的反应。强调了各种原料浸渍材料与最终产品性能之间的异同。经过适当固化的水玻璃，胶体二氧化硅和基于四烷氧基硅烷的配方都会导致二氧化硅颗粒（SiO₂）在细胞壁的表面，在管腔和孔中。能够穿透木材孔壁并与木材组分反应的低分子量有机硅烷和其他有机改性配方是良好的尺寸稳定剂。经过处理的木材通常表现出增强的机械性能（强度，硬度）和提高的抗生物降解性和阻燃性。通过添加杀生物剂，紫外线吸收剂或抗氧化剂，防火化合物（硼或磷基化合物，多价金属盐）和疏水性烷基烷氧基硅烷，可以将处理效率显着提高到满足工业应用要求的水平。二氧化硅可作为许多添加剂的屏障/载体，防止其浸出。