Comparative study on 3D morphologies of delignified, single tracheids and fibers of five wood species

• Helen Gorges,
• Felicitas von Usslar,
• Cordt Zollfrank,
• Silja Flenner,
• Imke Greving,
• Martin Müller,
• Clemens F. Schaber,
• Chuchu Li and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 239–250, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.16

• wood to withstand high stress. This structural resilience makes wood a versatile material for applications ranging from construction to advanced composites. However, a detailed understanding of how delignification affects softwood tracheid and hardwood fiber morphology is crucial for predicting

• material behavior and developing modified wood products. This study investigated the overall structural changes due to delignification, in five wood species, namely, spruce, beech, balsa, Douglas fir, and poplar. It additionally provides detailed morphology of delignified single tracheids and fibers

• . Scanning electron microscopy was used to compare the morphology between untreated and delignified fibers and tracheids. X-ray tomography enabled us to reconstruct high-resolution 3D models of delignified single tracheids or fibers, providing information on the pit arrangements. Moreover, delignification