Wood-derived
biopolymers have attracted great attention over the
past few decades due to their abundant and versatile properties. The
well-separated three main components, i.e., cellulose, hemicelluloses,
and lignin, are considered significant candidates for replacing and
improving on oil-based chemicals and materials. The production of
nanocellulose from wood pulp opens an opportunity for novel material
development and applications in nanotechnology. Currently, increased
research efforts are focused on developing 3D printing techniques
for wood-derived biopolymers for use in emerging application areas,
including as biomaterials for various biomedical applications and
as novel composite materials for electronics and energy devices. This
Review highlights recent work on emerging applications of wood-derived
biopolymers and their advanced composites with a specific focus on
customized pharmaceutical products and advanced functional biomedical
devices prepared via three-dimensional printing. Specifically, various
biofabrication strategies in which woody biopolymers are used to fabricate
customized drug delivery devices, cartilage implants, tissue engineering
scaffolds and items for other biomedical applications are discussed.