Researchers in Groningen have developed a two-step synthesis that makes it possible to modify cellulose so that it is not only soluble in water, but also easy to functionalise, according to RSC Sustainability.

Cellulose could very well be a substitute for fossil fuels, but then you have to find a way to dissolve it. Most organic solvents are not suitable for this purpose, and water does not work either, despite the large number of hydroxide groups found on cellulose. But with two simple synthetic steps, you can make a form of cellulose that dissolves in water, according to Peter McNeice, Ben Feringa and colleagues at ARC CBBC and Nouryon.