Multilevel Stimuli-Responsive Smart "Sandwich" Label with Physical Unclonable Functions Bionic Wrinkles and...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Security Technology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• The internet's growth increases security risks, necessitating advanced anti-counterfeiting measures.
• Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) offer unique, unclonable identifiers for security applications.
• Nature-inspired designs, like bark fissures and skin wrinkles, provide models for complex, random patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for creating complex micro-wrinkles in hydrogels for anti-counterfeiting.
• To propose a multilevel intelligent anti-counterfeiting system utilizing these micro-wrinkles.
• To enhance product security and prevent counterfeiting through advanced PUF technology.

Main Methods:

• Creating random micro-wrinkles in hydrogels by stretching.
• Digitizing micro-wrinkle patterns into binary codes using an adaptive threshold algorithm.
• Developing a "sandwich" label with multilevel encryption: photoluminescence, strain-related mechanical, and micro-wrinkle patterns.
• Space-selective doping of rare earth metal-organic framework (RE-MOF) fluorescent materials using screen-printing.

Main Results:

• Successfully generated complex, unclonable random patterns in hydrogels.
• Implemented a multilevel anti-counterfeiting system with increasing security levels.
• Achieved adjustable photoluminescence and strain-related mechanical encryption.
• Demonstrated the potential for enhanced label security and authentication.

Conclusions:

• The proposed hydrogel-based PUF labels offer a novel and effective solution for anti-counterfeiting.
• The multilevel intelligent system significantly enhances security against counterfeiting.
• This approach holds promise for broader applications in product authentication and security.