Zhihao Wang, Dan Xu, Chunxiao Shi, Haowei Xin, Huan Liu, Jiayin Yuan, Bo Pang
Abstract Effective water treatment is essential for securing access to clean water, maintaining healthy ecosystems, and supporting sustainable socio-economic development. However, conventional water treatment methods often rely on materials derived from non-renewable resources, such as synthetic membranes and chemical adsorbents, which can cause secondary pollution and limit long-term applications. In contrast, wood-derived monolithic materials (WMMs) have emerged as a highly promising, eco-friendly alternative due to their renewable nature, lightweight structure, high surface area, and tunable hierarchical porosity. These unique properties allow WMMs to be effective for diverse water treatment applications, including dye and heavy metal ion removal, oil/water separation, and seawater desalination. Despite significant progress, various key issues related to their long-term applicability, as well as economic and environmental aspects, remain underexplored and require comprehensive investigation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in WMMs, discussing their performance, challenges, and future potential as a versatile materials platform for next-generation water treatment technologies, aiming to accelerate the development of practically applicable and sustainable WMMs. Graphical Abstract