将生物质回收利用为高附加值材料需要在研究和技术方面进行重要的发展，以创建可持续的循环经济。作为生物质的组成部分，木质素是一种多功能芳香聚合物，具有可再生生物资源的重要潜力，在许多领域中可以作为有前景的生物聚合物和生物活性化合物使用。本综述简要介绍了木质素开发和利用潜力的最新研究和技术趋势。它分为十个主要部分，从多样性展望开始；主要性质和作为燃料、芳香化学品、塑料或热固性替代物的原材料的可能性；以及木质素作为生物活性化合物和纳米颗粒、水凝胶、基于3D打印的木质素生物材料、新型可持续生物材料和能源生产和储存方面的新发展。每个部分介绍了基于木质素的生物材料制备方面的最新进展，特别是获得纳米颗粒、水凝胶和多功能材料的绿色方法；适用于预期产品的每种类型的木质素；获得的木质素基材料的主要性质等。还描述了木质素在各个领域内的不同应用类别，这些应用类别可能提供完全可持续的能源转换，例如在农业和环境保护、食品包装、生物医学和化妆品方面。木质素衍生材料的医疗和治疗潜力在应用中得到了证明，例如作为抗菌、抗病毒和抗肿瘤剂；药物递送系统的载体，具有控制/靶向药物释放的特性；组织工程和伤口愈合；以及涂层、天然防晒霜和表面活性剂。木质素主要用于燃料，最近的研究强调了更可持续的生物能源生产技术，例如超级电容器电极、光催化剂和光伏技术。

The recycling of biomass into high-value-added materials requires important developments in research and technology to create a sustainable circular economy. Lignin, as a component of biomass, is a multipurpose aromatic polymer with a significant potential to be used as a renewable bioresource in many fields in which it acts both as promising biopolymer and bioactive compound. This comprehensive review gives brief insights into the recent research and technological trends on the potential of lignin development and utilization. It is divided into ten main sections, starting with an outlook on its diversity; main properties and possibilities to be used as a raw material for fuels, aromatic chemicals, plastics, or thermoset substitutes; and new developments in the use of lignin as a bioactive compound and in nanoparticles, hydrogels, 3D-printing-based lignin biomaterials, new sustainable biomaterials, and energy production and storage. In each section are presented recent developments in the preparation of lignin-based biomaterials, especially the green approaches to obtaining nanoparticles, hydrogels, and multifunctional materials as blends and bio(nano)composites; most suitable lignin type for each category of the envisaged products; main properties of the obtained lignin-based materials, etc. Different application categories of lignin within various sectors, which could provide completely sustainable energy conversion, such as in agriculture and environment protection, food packaging, biomedicine, and cosmetics, are also described. The medical and therapeutic potential of lignin-derived materials is evidenced in applications such as antimicrobial, antiviral, and antitumor agents; carriers for drug delivery systems with controlled/targeting drug release; tissue engineering and wound healing; and coatings, natural sunscreen, and surfactants. Lignin is mainly used for fuel, and, recently, studies highlighted more sustainable bioenergy production technologies, such as the supercapacitor electrode, photocatalysts, and photovoltaics.