Figure 3.

DMAc/LiCl-treated wood at different stages. (a, b, and c) Native wood, delignified wood, and DMAc/LiCl-treated wood aerogel, respectively. (d and e) Low-magnification SEM images of native and delignified wood from a cross-section, respectively. Inset images in (d) and (e) display the cell wall structures, while (e) shows the partial delamination of the cell wall pointed by the arrows. (f) Generation of nanofiber networks inside the lumen structure of the balsa wood after delignification and DMAc/LiCl treatment. Inset image exhibits the filling of the lumen with a nanofiber network. (g and h) Empty cells along the fiber direction for wood and delignified wood and (i) lumen of the regenerated wood aerogel with a nanofiber network created as a consequence of the DMAc/LiCl treatment.