Sodium 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropanesulfonate is a chemical intermediate prepared by the reaction of epichlorohydrin with sodium sulphite-bisulphite solution, which can be used to prepare a hydroxysulphonated betaine and surface-derivatised microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) particles with strong positive or negative zeta potentials, and to prepare negatively charged probe particles. It can also be used to prepare negatively charged probe particles to study the effect of nanoporosity of cellulose fibres on their flow potential and their interaction with cationic polyelectrolytes.