Monica Ek

Background:
 

I am Professor of Wood Chemistry and Head of the Division of Wood Chemistry and Pulp Technology at KTH. Before moving into a full academic career, I spent seven years in industrial research — as Division Manager at Stora Enso Research (1995–1999) and at Innventia/RISE (1992–1995) — and I think that applied perspective still shapes how my group approaches problems.

I co-founded FineCell Sweden AB together with former students, a startup built directly on research results from our group, which received the Stockholm City Innovation Prize in 2016. I was awarded the SPCI Ekmanmedalj in 2021 for contributions to Swedish pulp and paper science, and since 2023 I have been a member of the Marcus Wallenberg Award Selection Committee.

 

Teaching:
 

I teach Biofiber Chemistry (KF2460) and Material Chemistry and Properties in the Engineering Chemistry programme at KTH, at both Bachelor's and Master's level. I have supervised 15 PhD students to graduation as main supervisor, and a large number of Master's thesis students. I previously served as Director of Graduate Studies at the School of Chemical Science and Engineering, overseeing approximately 250 PhD students.

 

Research:
 

My research focuses on sustainable utilisation of wood and forest residuals through the biorefinery concept. The main themes are nanocellulose production and functionalisation — including a solvent-free route via oxalic acid dihydrate that we developed in the group — bark valorisation (extracting and applying suberin, polysaccharides, and nanocellulose from Norway spruce bark), antimicrobial cellulose-based materials, and bio-based thermal insulation and packaging.

My research is currently supported by the Wallenberg Wood Science Centre (WWSC) and by Vinnova through the Optibark project.
 

Key publications:

• Carbon Fibers from Lignin-Cellulose Precursors: Effect of Carbonization Conditions. ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering (2020)
• Adding Value to Spruce Bark by the Isolation of Nanocellulose in a Biorefinery Concept. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering (2021)
• Esterification and hydrolysis of cellulose using oxalic acid dihydrate in a solvent-free reaction suitable for preparation of surface-functionalised cellulose nanocrystals with high yield. Green Chemistry (2017)
• The bark biorefinery: a side-stream of the forest industry converted into nanocomposites with high oxygen-barrier properties. Cellulose (2014)
• Pulp and Paper Chemistry and Technology, Vol. 1–4 (Editor: Ek, Gellerstedt, Henriksson). De Gruyter (2009)

Current group members:
 

PhD students

• Fika Andriani — PhD student
• Alvaro Castaneda Estremadoyro — PhD student
• Hanna Landberg — PhD student
• Filippa Ludvig — PhD student
• Antonia von Schreeb — PhD student

Postdoctoral researchers

• Natalia Fijol — Postdoctoral researcher
• Carl Moser — Postdoctoral researcher

Alumni:
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See the curriculum vitae page for the full list of PhD students I have supervised to graduation.