Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) as carriers for a spirooxazine dye and its effect on photochromic efficiency

•Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are used as carriers for spirooxazine (SO) to make it be compatible in the aqueous system.•Photochromatism is applied in cellulose paper by impregnating CNC-dispersed SO.•The photochromic efficiency of CNC-dispersed SO can be improved obviously.•The CNC-dispersed SO impregnated paper shows enhanced color stability and fatigue resistance. Nanocrystalline cellulose (CNC) as a renewable/sustainable material, has received much attention. Herein we studied CNC as carriers for a hydrophobic spirooxazine (SO)-based dye, 1,3-dihydro-1,3,3-trimethylspiro[2H-indole-2,3′-[3H]naphtha[2,1-b][1,4]oxazine], which may have potential applications in reversible memory photo-devices, textiles, photo-sensitive paper coatings, and inkjet printing inks. Due to the high cost and water-insolubility of this dye, it is desirable to improve its coloration efficiency and water-dispersibility. The experimental approach was to use CNC as carriers for the SO dye, thus obtaining a stable photochromic dye in aqueous systems. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation confirmed that the SO dye adsorbed on the surface of the CNC, which functioned as carriers for the photochromic dye. An impregnation process was adopted to anchor the dye onto cellulosic paper. It was found that the use of CNC resulted in a significant improvement in the SO coloration efficiency. The color stability and fatigue resistance were also studied. The use of CNC as carriers for a hydrophobic compound, its enhancement of associated properties, and its subsequent application were demonstrated.