Ioanna Sapouna

About me

I studied chemistry at the University of Ioannina, in Greece, and received my bachelor's degree from the Department of Analytical Chemistry. In 2018, I received my MSc. degree in chemistry at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, through the master’s program “Molecular Science and Engineering”, which I represented as an international student ambassador in 2017. My thesis project was focused on the development of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) membranes to be used in Vanadium redox flow cell batteries, in the Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology (FPT). My doctoral studies were completed in 2023 at KTH, within the Wallenberg Wood Science Centre (WWSC) and the Division of Glycoscience in the Department of Chemistry. For my doctoral thesis I studied aspects of native lignin structure, polymerization and interactions with cell wall components. I mainly focused in developing protocols that allow investigation of structure, composition and chemical properties of native lignin in wood species.

At MMK I work in the Sustainable Materials Chemistry (SUSMATCHEM) group, under the supervision of Assistant Prof. Mika Sipponen.

My research interests include lignin characterization and utilization in sustainable materials as well as understanding their structure-property relationship.