Structural Color Patterns on Paper Fabricated by Inkjet Printer and Their Application in Anticounterfeiting

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Optics

Background:

• Inkjet printing of structural color patterns is promising but typically requires pretreated plastic substrates.
• Developing methods for fabricating these patterns on untreated materials is essential for broader applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a convenient inkjet printing method for large-scale structural color patterns on untreated photo paper.
• To achieve invisible photonic anticounterfeiting using structural color patterns.

Main Methods:

• Utilized inks containing monodisperse cadmium sulfide (CdS) spheres.
• Employed computer-designed patterns for inkjet printing on photo paper without substrate pretreatment.
• Varied CdS sphere diameters to create distinct structural colors and anticounterfeiting effects.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated single-color and multicolor structural color patterns on photo paper.
• Demonstrated invisible photonic anticounterfeiting achievable by changing the viewing angle.
• Confirmed patterns possess solid structure, long lifetime, and good durability.

Conclusions:

• Inkjet printing of CdS sphere-based structural colors offers a versatile and efficient method for pattern fabrication on untreated paper.
• The developed technique provides a novel approach for anticounterfeiting applications with tunable visual properties.
• The durability and ease of fabrication suggest significant potential for practical use in various fields.