Swedish researchers develop better method to detect cellulose

In Sweden, a Swedish research team involving researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and the Karolinska Institute has developed an efficient, accurate and non-destructive way to detect the occurrence and purity of cellulose. The technique, which was published in Scientific Reports, can be applied in mixtures of biopolymers, as well.

The researchers have synthesized a nontoxic molecule that can be easily applied to different forms of cellulose and provide a simple optical readout of quality. This could be used routinely and safely at any part of the cellulose-processing pipeline, giving multiple options for deployment and optimization.

The next step for this technology is to make it available to industries that rely on cellulose, as well as creating new, safe detection systems that reduce the reliance on dangerous chemicals and improve the quality efficiency of the recycling process.