Researchers in the United States have unveiled a new material described as a transparent ‘tree’, capable of substituting plastic and glass in both construction and electronics. Unlike earlier versions, this material is designed to be almost entirely natural and fully biodegradable in biological environments. For readers in Canada and the United States, the development underscores a path toward greener buildings and more sustainable devices—an environmental upgrade with broad appeal.
A chemist involved in the study drew inspiration from ancient Indian building techniques that used blends of sand, sticky rice and egg proteins instead of cement. This mix helped form a transparent tree that balances mechanical strength with environmental compatibility, combining durability with a lighter ecological footprint.
The process started by stripping certain compounds from wood while keeping the porous cellulose scaffold intact. The pores were then filled with a solution of egg proteins and rice extract. The resulting composite proved transparent and demonstrated notable flexibility and durability, making it a versatile material for various applications.
In a practical demonstration, the transparent tree material was placed as a window pane in a small model house. Temperature measurements showed that interiors stayed cooler by about 5 to 6 degrees Celsius compared with conventional glass — a finding that hints at meaningful energy savings in real-world buildings.
Researchers also made the material conductive by incorporating silver nanoparticles into the matrix. This conductive variant opens possibilities for sensors, solar panels and wearable electronics. Looking ahead, there is interest in substituting silver with graphene to preserve biodegradability while keeping strong electrical performance.
Earlier work by others introduced materials intended to model aspects of quantum phenomena, showing the broader interest in functional composites and their potential to simulate complex physical effects through tailored structures.