Remote On-Paper Electrochemiluminescence-Based High-Safety and Multilevel Information Encryption

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Growing demand for robust information protection necessitates innovative encryption solutions.
• Conventional encryption methods face challenges in security and multilevel protection.
• Electrochemical and chemiluminescent techniques offer potential for novel security applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel chemical approach for information encryption using on-paper electrochemiluminescence (ECL).
• To demonstrate a multilevel encryption strategy utilizing both chemical and biological inks.
• To establish a secure and visually verifiable method for secret message decryption.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of dendritic porous silica nanospheres modified with polyetherimide and bovine serum albumin as chemical ink.
• Writing secret messages on paper using the prepared ink.
• Utilizing tris(2,2 -bipyridyl)ruthenium (Ru(bpy)₃ ²⁺) and an electrochemical reaction to induce ECL for message decryption.
• Employing immunochemistry combined with ECL imaging for decrypting protein-based secret messages.

Main Results:

• Successful encryption and decryption of information using on-paper ECL.
• Demonstration of a "catalytic route" electrochemical reaction for remote message visualization.
• Validation of proteins as biological ink for multilevel information security.
• Achieved high-safety and multilevel information encryption through a unique ECL decoding approach.

Conclusions:

• The developed ECL-based strategy provides a promising method for high-safety and multilevel information encryption.
• The unique ECL decoding approach offers enhanced security beyond conventional invisible inks.
• This technique holds potential for future applications in secure data storage and transmission.