Functionalized wood sponges: Advanced biomass materials for renewable energies, freshwater production, energy storage, and environmental remediation

Abstract

Biomass-based materials are crucial for the development of renewable energy and environmental remediation applications. Wood sponge (WS), a porous material with a hierarchically structured architecture, excellent physicochemical stability, large surface area, and low thermal conductivity has shown great potential for practical applications in wastewater treatment, energy storage devices, strain sensors, CO₂ sorption, and freshwater production through desalination of brackish water resources and extraction of water from soil. This study provides an overview of the preparation strategies and characterization of WS, as well as recent impressive applications, with a focus on renewable energy and environmental sustainability. Potential future directions for WS applications, such as its use as an atmospheric water harvesting sorbent, integration into building materials to improve their thermal insulation and energy efficiency, and as a substrate for the growth of microorganisms for bioremediation applications are explored. Finally, the challenges of using WS are discussed.