SASAMIS couples state-of-the-art molecular simulations with tailored X-ray scattering measurements to study the water interactions of cellulose microfibril bundles and lignin domains within spruce secondary cell walls. The approach provides fundamental information on the cell wall nanostructure and the moisture behaviour of its polymeric components. The generated knowledge will help us understand the water interactions of native wood, and eventually exploit them in technological applications. This will lead to more efficient utilization of the unique properties of wood and other lignocellulosic raw materials. The new capabilities in simulation-assisted scattering analysis will strengthen the leadership of the FinnCERES community in the field of biomass structural characterisation.
Main results
Clear methodological advance in studying nanoscale effects in wood
Our unique combination of experimental and computational research provides detailed information on the effects of moisture on the nanoscale building blocks of wood fiber walls.
Our up-to-date model of microfibril bundles allows transferring from a conceptual picture to a quantitative description of the moisture behavior of wood cell walls.
The approach is not limited to moisture behavior of wood but can be adapted to various cellulosic nanomaterials and for studies including mechanical stresses, mechanosorption, sorption hysteresis, and irreversible effects of drying.