Transparent Wood: Revolutions Ahead in Architecture and Electronics

Research groups from the University of Maryland and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology introduced some chemical solutions that could make the wood completely transparent. This resulted in a glass-like wood you can see through. Wood is always a preferable material as compared to its existing transparent rivals such as plastic and glass. This transparent wood will soon revolutionize electronics and architecture as:

· Wood seems to possess some benefits over glass and plastic for architectural use.

· Its lower thermal conductivity keeps the buildings at a more consistent temperature making it reach higher energy efficiency levels.

· In the electronic world, the transparent wood might be used to manufacture solar cells.

· These low-cost cells will be readily available and can be a potential solution to build solar panels for large surfaces.

The transparent wood laser is another interesting application that is created by embedding an organic dye into the wood. These organic lasers have unique optical properties that can further enhance biophysics. The researchers believe that soon we will witness this technology.