Inspired by gene scissor concept in biological genetic engineering, chemical scissors, as important research tools, play an important role in the study of structure editing and application of materials. We aim to review the research progress of chemical scissors in structural editing and applications of materials. First of all, we introduce the basic concept and mechanism. Chemical scissors strategy refers to a methodology for material editing through which the main crystal structure is preserved but targeted atoms or structural units are knocked out, replaced, repaired or reconstructed in order to realize special functionality. Subsequently, the specific applications of chemical scissors in materials structure editing are discussed in depth, including the methods and functional designs for precise structure modulation of materials by chemical shearing, modification, synthesis, as well as etching and intercalation. Finally, the future research direction of chemical scissors in the field of material structure editing is envisioned, including developing new chemical scissors that are more intelligent and efficient, exploring more innovative strategies for material structure editing, understanding the underlying chemical mechanism, and further expanding the applicability of chemical scissors. Overall, we summarize the research progress and potential of material structural editing, which provides important theoretical and experimental support for further exploring and developing the application of chemical scissors in the field of materials.