Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Correlative Ultrafast Imaging of a Photodriven Phase Transition Using 4D Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy.

ACS nano·2026

Same author

Self-Adaptive Non-Flammable Wallpaper With Layered Bead-Network Structure for Light Path Modulation Enabling on-Demand Building Thermal Management.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2026

Same author

Self-Healing Hydrogels for Flexible Underwater Motion Sensing and Rapid Information Transmission.

Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids·2026

Same author

Long-Lived Luminescence Over an Ultra-Broad Temperature Range via Sequential Exciplex and Chemiluminescence Pathways.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026

Same author

Bioinspired Keratin-Based Eutectic Hydrogels for Intelligent Health Monitoring and Photothermal Therapy.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026

Same author

Long Persistent Luminescence in Polymer Exciplex Systems: Design Principles and Recent Advances.

Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026

Same journal

Metal-Organic Framework Monoliths Derived from Emulsion-Templated Foams for Reactive Filtration.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026

Same journal

Binary to Quaternary Rare-Earth Phosphates: Compositional Effects on Thermal Properties and CMAS Corrosion Resistance of Environmental Barrier Coatings.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026

Same journal

Suture-Free Piezoelectric Band-Aid Membrane for Complex Peripheral Nerve Defects.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026

Same journal

Single-Precursor to Dual-Function: A Transformable Metal-Organic Framework Nanoplatform for Photocatalytic H<sub>2</sub> Evolution and CO<sub>2</sub> Reduction.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026

Same journal

Surfactant-Templated Synthesis of Mg-Stabilized High-Loading Co Single Atoms in Mesoporous Silica Featuring Robust Co-O Bonds for Efficient Peroxymonosulfate Activation.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026

Same journal

Toughening Driven by Interphase Tuning in Bioinspired Nanocomposites: From Structural Engineering to Scalable Fabrication.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 8, 2025

Demonstration of Spin-Multiplexed and Direction-Multiplexed All-Dielectric Visible Metaholograms

Demonstration of Spin-Multiplexed and Direction-Multiplexed All-Dielectric Visible Metaholograms

Published on: September 25, 2020

Unclonable Photonic Crystal Hydrogels with Controllable Encoding Capacity for Anticounterfeiting.

Jianyu Wu¹, Jiawei Li¹, Xiaochun Liu¹

¹School of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China.

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

|December 27, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers created new unclonable photonic crystal hydrogels (UPCHs) inspired by opals. These hydrogels offer high-capacity, secure data encryption and authentication, overcoming limitations of current anti-counterfeiting technologies.

Keywords:

anticounterfeiting artificial intelligence colloidal crystals electrostatic interaction photonic crystal hydrogels

More Related Videos

Light-mediated Formation and Patterning of Hydrogels for Cell Culture Applications

Light-mediated Formation and Patterning of Hydrogels for Cell Culture Applications

Published on: September 29, 2016

Synthesis of Hydrogels with Antifouling Properties As Membranes for Water Purification

Synthesis of Hydrogels with Antifouling Properties As Membranes for Water Purification

Published on: April 7, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 8, 2025

Demonstration of Spin-Multiplexed and Direction-Multiplexed All-Dielectric Visible Metaholograms

Demonstration of Spin-Multiplexed and Direction-Multiplexed All-Dielectric Visible Metaholograms

Published on: September 25, 2020

Light-mediated Formation and Patterning of Hydrogels for Cell Culture Applications

Light-mediated Formation and Patterning of Hydrogels for Cell Culture Applications

Published on: September 29, 2016

Synthesis of Hydrogels with Antifouling Properties As Membranes for Water Purification

Synthesis of Hydrogels with Antifouling Properties As Membranes for Water Purification

Published on: April 7, 2017

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Nanotechnology
Optics

Background:

Naturally occurring precious opals exhibit random sparkling microcrystallines.
Existing unclonable materials face challenges like fading, limited durability, and high costs.
There is a need for advanced materials for secure information storage and anticounterfeiting.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a novel class of unclonable photonic crystal hydrogels (UPCHs).
To achieve high-capacity, random, and secure data encoding and decoding.
To create a robust and cost-effective alternative for anticounterfeiting and information storage.

Main Methods:

Utilizing electrostatic interactions to induce the formation of UPCHs.
Leveraging the random self-assembly of colloidal crystals for unpredictable patterns.
Employing artificial intelligence (AI) deep learning for authentication and patterning.

Main Results:

Successfully produced UPCHs with random sparkling spots, mimicking natural opals.
Achieved an ultrahigh and controllable encoding capacity (up to ca. 2 × 10^166055).
Demonstrated unpredictable/unrepeatable characteristics due to colloidal crystal randomness.
Showcased water responsiveness, angle dependence, and robustness of UPCHs.
Enabled reliable and rapid authentication using AI deep learning.

Conclusions:

UPCHs offer a promising platform for secure, high-capacity information storage and steganography.
The developed hydrogels address limitations of existing unclonable materials, enhancing practical usability.
AI-driven authentication of UPCHs paves the way for unbreakable and portable security systems.
This research provides a novel approach for anticounterfeiting and data security applications.