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Design of a self-cleanable multilevel anticounterfeiting interface through covalent chemical modulation
Manideepa Dhar1, Ufuoma I Kara2, Supriya Das1
1Bio-Inspired Polymeric Materials Lab, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati, Kamrup, Assam 781039, India. umanna@iitg.ac.in.
Materials Horizons
|March 31, 2023
Summary
Researchers developed a novel, self-cleaning coating with unique physical and chemical features for product authentication. This multilevel anti-counterfeiting interface offers easy, reliable verification against counterfeit goods.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Counterfeit products present significant risks to consumer safety and the global economy.
- Existing authentication coatings face challenges in readout ease and stability against environmental factors like water, dust, and wear.
- Microscale features for authentication require robust and practical readout methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel, chemically functionalizable coating with a physically unclonable porous topography for anti-counterfeiting applications.
- To create a multilevel authentication interface combining physical unclonability with distinct physiochemical properties.
- To address the limitations of current authentication methods by enhancing readout ease and environmental stability.
Main Methods:
- Utilized orthogonal chemical modifications, including 1,4-conjugate addition and Schiff-base reactions at ambient conditions.
- Engineered a coating with a combination of porous topography and tunable physiochemical properties (fluorescence, wettability, adhesion).
- Developed a self-cleanable surface and employed deep learning for verifying fluorescent topography and naked-eye readout via underwater exposure and UV illumination.
Main Results:
- Successfully created a novel class of chemically functionalizable coatings with physically unclonable porous topography.
- Demonstrated a self-cleanable, multilevel anti-counterfeiting interface with distinct physiochemical properties.
- Achieved authentication verification through deep learning of fluorescent topography and naked-eye readout of chemical modifications.
Conclusions:
- The developed coating offers a facile basis for designing functional surfaces with independent and multilevel authenticity decryption.
- This approach provides a robust solution for combating counterfeit products by enhancing security and verification.
- The combination of physical unclonability and selective chemical functionalization presents a promising strategy for advanced anti-counterfeiting technologies.
