Wood that you can see through? It sounds like something that shouldn’t exist, doesn’t it? Well, scientists have already proven it can be done. And now they’ve developed a new kind of transparent wood that acts like glass but with surprising advantages. Not only is it strong and flexible, but this new material is also energy-efficient and nearly 100 percent natural.That’s right. A team led by chemist and woodworking enthusiast Dr. Bharat Baruah at Kennesaw State University in Georgia has figured out how to turn balsa wood into a futuristic building material. The most inspiring thing about it all is that the team did so while using ingredients you might find in your kitchen.See, our daily lives are built on plastic, literally. From smartphone screens to window panes, we rely heavily on synthetic materials that stick around in landfills long after they’ve served their purpose. It’s honestly a bit of a problem, especially in certain parts of the world, like oceans, where plastic waste continues to be an ever-evolving problem. But transparent wood offers an alternative to these plastics. It’s renewable, biodegradable, and tough enough to still be useful.Until now, though, there’s been a trade-off. Most wood that has been made transparent relies on epoxy or other plastics to keep the material stable. This compromises the environmental benefits that it would offer. So, of course, Dr. Baruah’s team wanted to do better.To make their version of transparent wood, the researchers started with balsa wood and stripped out the components responsible for its color and rigidity—materials called lignin and hemicellulose. That left behind a paper-like mash of cellulose that they could then soak in another material to help make it strong and durable.
So, they used their transparent wood to replace a glass window in a birdhouse. Under a heat lamp, the interior stayed nine to 11 degrees cooler than when it had a glass window. That kind of insulation could be a game-changer for energy-efficient architecture, especially for buildings with lots of windows.The team also experimented with adding silver nanowires to some samples, making the transparent wood electrically conductive. That opens the door to all sorts of applications—from wearable tech to solar panels. And they’re already exploring biodegradable alternatives like graphene to keep the material entirely earth-friendly.
The researchers highlighted their recent success at the ACS Spring 2025 meeting, where chemistry experts continue to come together to talk about the latest advancements and accomplishments.
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