Journal of Graphic Engineering and Design

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Original scientific paper

A study of optical properties of coatings based on functional pigments and cellulose nanocrystals across the solar spectrum

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  • Mirica Karlovits,
  • Blaž Likozar,
  • Uroš Novak
Mirica Karlovits
National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Blaž Likozar
National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Uroš Novak
National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Published 2026-07-06

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Keywords

  • functional pigments,
  • optical properties,
  • coatings,
  • solar spectrum,
  • cellulose nanocrystals

How to Cite

Karlovits, M., Likozar, B., & Novak, U. (2026). A study of optical properties of coatings based on functional pigments and cellulose nanocrystals across the solar spectrum. Journal of Graphic Engineering and Design. Retrieved from https://sp.ftn.uns.ac.rs/index.php/jged/article/view/2723

Copyright (c) 2026 © 2026 Authors. Published by the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Department of Graphic Engineering and Design. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license 4.0 Serbia

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This study investigates the optical properties of coatings based on functional pigments and cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) across the solar spectrum (UVVIS-NIR: 200-2500 nm). The coatings were formulated using CNC aqueous suspension as a sustainable, bio-based binder. Four different pigment types (one IR-absorbing and three pearlescent) were incorporated into the CNC matrix and coated onto the translucent paper substrate. Spectrophotometric measurements revealed significant differences in optical properties among coatings. The coating based on IR-absorbing pigment exhibited the highest overall absorbance, especially in the NIR region, the lowest reflectance across the entire solar spectrum, but the highest transmittance in the NIR (≈85- 90% between ≈900-1800 nm). Coatings based on the pearlescent pigments showed lower overall absorbance but higher UV reflectance. The results highlight the potential of using CNCs as a binder with functional pigments to create sustainable functional coatings on transparent substrates where more light, less heat, and higher UV absorption are needed.

Article history: Received (December 11, 2025); Revised (February 6, 2026); Accepted (April 6, 2026)

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