Programmable multimode optical encryption of advanced printable security inks by integrating structural color with...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optics and Photonics
• Chemistry

Background:

• High-capacity optical information encryption is crucial for anti-counterfeiting and authenticating goods.
• Existing methods often lack the complexity and multi-modal capabilities required for advanced security applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel counterfeiting material with high-degree complexity for enhanced optical information encryption.
• To integrate structural coloration, fluorescence, and upconversion photoluminescence into a single security ink.
• To demonstrate tailorable optical behaviors and programmable abilities on flexible substrates.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a novel material by microencapsulating cholesteric liquid crystals and triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion fluorophores.
• Utilizing various printing techniques to apply the security ink onto flexible substrates.
• Characterizing the integrated optical properties including structural coloration, fluorescence, and upconversion photoluminescence.

Main Results:

• Successfully integrated structural coloration with fluorescence and upconversion photoluminescence in a single material.
• The multimode security ink exhibited tailorable optical behaviors and programmable abilities under different optical modes.
• Demonstrated high-degree complexity and enhanced encoding capacities for information encryption.

Conclusions:

• The developed advanced strategy provides a practical and versatile platform for high-secure-level multimode optical inks.
• The security ink offers largely enhanced encoding capacities, programmability, printability, and cost-effectiveness.
• This technology shows enormous potential for information encryption and anti-counterfeiting applications.