Eco-friendly colorful particle boards based on metal–ligand coordination

Colorful wood boards are widely favored in construction and decoration for their outstanding qualities and visually striking appearance. However, the current coloration process of wood boards often relies on formaldehyde-releasing organic paints, which raise environmental and health concerns. Here, a general metal-ligand coordination approach is presented to fabricate eco-friendly, colorful particle boards without the utilization of traditional harmful paints. Based on the regulation of the metal-ligand coordination process, the resulting particle boards show a range of tunable colors, including pink, yellow-brown, orange, grass green, turquoise, indigo, and violet. These colorful particle boards demonstrate exceptional mechanical performance, with a flexural strength of 55.3 ± 3.1 MPa. Additionally, the through-color of the as-prepared particle boards allows their unprecedented color durability against repeated wear, unlike that of traditional colorful coating techniques. This study offers a promising eco-friendly coloration pathway for functional wood materials, meeting sustainable, esthetic, and health-related demands.