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Scientists Discover Way to Send Information into Black Holes Without Using Energy

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Scientists Turn Wood into 3D-Printable Material That Glows Without Power

Imagine a world where wood not only builds furniture and homes but also lights up without electricity. That world may be closer than we think. Scientists at Northeast Forestry University (NEFU) in China have created a 3D-printable wood material that emits a bright glow even after the ultraviolet light that activates it is turned off. This breakthrough transforms ordinary wood powder into a functional material, opening doors to new applications in design, sensing, and sustainable technology.

How Wood Can Glow

The secret lies in the chemical treatment of wood powder. Normally, wood is just a natural material made of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. But the NEFU team, led by associate professor Yingxiang Zhai, modified the wood powder by attaching oxygen-rich chemical groups. This small change allowed the wood to be printable in water and, at the same time, glow after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light.

When UV light hits the printed samples, they store energy. Remarkably, this energy continues to emit as visible light even after the lamp goes dark. In lab tests, the afterglow lasted about 1.2 seconds—short, but enough to make printed markers, sensors, or decorative parts stand out.

The Science Behind the Glow

The glow comes from the way the chemical modification alters wood’s internal structure. Normally, molecules in wood are tightly packed in an ordered crystal-like arrangement. By adding the chemical groups, the researchers disrupted this order slightly, creating space where molecules can lock together through weak attractions called hydrogen bonds. These bonds prevent the stored energy from leaking out as molecular motion, allowing the wood to emit light for a longer period.

Both major components of wood contribute to the glow, and performance improves as chemical modification increases. The afterglow lifetime rose from just 35 milliseconds in early formulas to 358.7 milliseconds in the new material, while the efficiency of light emission—called quantum yield—jumped from 0.93% to 4.6%. Compared to older wood-based light materials, this is a substantial improvement.

3D Printing the Wood

The modified wood behaves like a paste when mixed with water. Engineers use a 3D printing method called direct ink writing, where this paste is extruded through a nozzle. The paste flows under pressure but stiffens quickly after deposition, maintaining the intended shape.

This process is delicate: if the paste is too runny, shapes collapse; if it stiffens too soon, it clogs the nozzle. The NEFU team achieved a balance, enabling intricate designs without using petroleum-based binders, which are common in other wood inks.

After drying, printed objects retained around 90% of their original shape. Tiny internal pores formed naturally, giving the material mechanical strength and some resistance to burning. However, water can still dissolve the material if it is not permanently linked, so practical uses will depend on the final design and handling.

Color, Responsiveness, and Sensing

The glow color of the material can change depending on UV wavelength. In one experiment, adding a common dye produced a red afterglow with a lifetime of 78 milliseconds. Humidity also affects performance, but the material recovers after drying cycles. This sensitivity makes it a promising candidate for sensing applications. For example, a printed indicator could glow differently to signal moisture changes in its environment.

Recycling and Environmental Impact

One surprising benefit of using water-based printing is recyclability. Printed parts can be dissolved back into ink and reprinted multiple times while retaining their glowing properties. This reuse significantly reduces environmental impact.

Environmental modeling by the researchers estimated the global warming potential of the ink at 12.03 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent. This is only 27.6% of the impact of standard wood ink and 56.4% of another plant-fiber-based ink, highlighting its sustainability.

A New Function for Wood

Previous research had shown that natural wood could glow weakly after chemical treatment. Other studies had produced water-based printable wood structures, but light emission was not the goal. NEFU’s innovation is unique because it combines both functions: one biomass feedstock becomes both a printable ink and a light-emitting material. This combination bridges the gap between lab experiments and real-world applications where shape, function, and sustainability matter.

Potential Applications

Glowing wood could be used in a variety of ways. Interior design could benefit from decorative panels or custom lighting features that glow briefly after UV exposure. Anti-counterfeiting measures could use glowing markers for security tags. Sensors could detect environmental changes like humidity by measuring how the glow responds.

However, the technology is still limited. The afterglow is brief, and large structural uses remain challenging due to water sensitivity and limited glow duration. Even so, this material demonstrates a rare combination of printability, light emission, and recyclability in a single natural feedstock.

What’s Next

The NEFU team is now focused on several improvements. They aim to increase the glow duration, improve water resistance, and test how the prints hold up outdoors. If successful, familiar wood may start performing functions that were previously impossible, quietly lighting spaces, marking objects, or sensing changes in the environment.

Conclusion

This breakthrough at Northeast Forestry University shows that wood, a material humans have used for thousands of years, still holds surprises. By chemically modifying wood powder and using 3D printing, researchers have created a material that glows, can be reshaped, and is recyclable—all without relying on fossil fuels. While challenges remain, this glowing wood could become a practical, sustainable solution for design, sensing, and anti-counterfeiting technologies in the near future.

The study is published in Nature, marking an important milestone in the development of sustainable, functional materials.

Reference: Chen, Z., Wang, K., Zhai, Y. et al. 3D-printable phosphorescent woody materials. Nat Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70488-y

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