Prof. Skov works within materials for dielectric elastomers and functionalization of silicone-based elastomers.
Over the years, she has established a research group with focus on fundamental properties of elastomers as well as developing and enhancing them towards highly advanced uses, such as energy harvesters, responsive antifouling systems, sensors, and artificial muscles. They strive to understand the properties of silicone adhesives and elastomers, identify their shortcomings and improve them to make these materials even more useful for potential users. In most projects, they work closely with industry, but we also work on fundamental aspects of rubber elasticity, both with respect to understanding the dynamics and to use the curing as a method to control final properties.

Received his PhD in Chemistry with a thesis entitled “Smart Silicone Materials”. He gained strong expertise in silicone-based polymer and co-polymer synthesis by Ring-Opening Polymerisation (anionic and cationic) and Piers–Rubinsztajn polycondensation, chemical modification of silicones (hydrosilylation and UV-induced thiol-ene “click” chemistry), being able to deliver silicone polymers with different molecular weights and copolymers bearing varying polar or non-polar groups specifically designed as requested by projects objectives. Also, he engineered silicone-based composites gaining experience in nanoparticles synthesis (mostly ceramic and silica) and approaching filler surface treatments, incorporation into the polymer matrix and cross-linking strategies (low and high temperature vulcanisation by condensation, hydrosilylation and UV-induced thiol-ene “click” reaction).
The project manager was a key team member in a PED project that received A+ (PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2016-0188/CNCS/CCCDI-UEFISCDI) where he designed and implemented a fully automatic laboratory-scale installation that can produce stack DETs (Patent nr.: B32B 25/20, H01G 9/04), where, among others, he gained the basics of automatization, sensor calibration and software programming.