Maja Vasiljevic, a PhD student at BOKU University’s Institute of Physics and Materials Science (IPM), completed a two-month research stay in March and April 2024 at the University of Copenhagen, collaborating with Emil Thybring and the Bioresource Chemistry and Technology group at the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management (IGN). This group offers a unique combination of expertise in wood-water interactions and chemical wood modification.
During her stay, Maja’s research focused on chemical modifications of wood samples—including delignification, acetylation, hemicellulose degradation, and extractives removal. Understanding how these modifications affect the wood-water relations and electrical properties of wood will bring us one step closer to utilising wood as intelligent sensors for non-destructive, continuous moisture content (MC) monitoring.
Maja is investigating wood’s AC conductivity using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and testing how different wood components interact with moisture and influence its electrical properties.
The collaboration with the Bioresource Chemistry and Technology group continues, building on the progress Maja made during her research stay to further advance the understanding of wood-water relations and contribute to the i3Sense project’s long-term goals.
