[en] A poly(para)phenylene conjugated polymer is developed to store information via a quick and facile optical writing method. After exposure to UV light, co-fluorescence (films with two or more written emission colors –, i.e., “double-on”) and “on-off” states are written into the flexible polymer films. The hidden information is invisible under ambient lighting and can only be read with an appropriate light source, optical filter, and/or magnifier, thus providing a level of security for information encoded into the films. The physical and chemical mechanisms are discussed responsible for the rapid fluorescence changes that occur under UV exposure and demonstrate microscale multi-colored artwork and hidden QR codes written into pliable and freestanding films. Depending on the preparation, the written patterns remained easily visible and stable after exposure to water and to ambient levels of UV background radiation.
Disciplines :
Physics Chemistry
Author, co-author :
Liu, Xiaoyuan; Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Kleybolte, Moritz E.; Wacker Chair of Macromolecular Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Garching bei München, Germany
Hantro, Mhamad ; Université de Mons - UMONS > Faculté des Sciences > Service Chimie Physique Théorique
Butler, Cole; Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Vagin, Sergey I.; Wacker Chair of Macromolecular Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Garching bei München, Germany
Van dyck, Colin ; Université de Mons - UMONS > Faculté des Sciences > Service Chimie Physique Théorique
Fleischauer, Michael; Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada ; National Research Council – Nanotechnology Research Centre, Edmonton, Canada
Veinot, Jonathan G. C.; Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Rieger, Bernhard; Wacker Chair of Macromolecular Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Garching bei München, Germany
Meldrum, Alkiviathes ; Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Language :
English
Title :
A Fluorescent Polymer for Facile One-Step Writing of Polychromic Hidden Information in Flexible Films
X.L. and M.E.K. contributed equally to this work. The authors recognize funding from the NSERC Discovery Grant program, the ATUMS training program supported by NSERC CREATE (CREATE\u2010463990\u20102015), the Alberta Innovates Strategic Projects Program, the NSERC\u2010Alberta Innovates Advanced Program, DFG project 245845833 within the International Research Training Group IRTG 2022, and the Collaborative Ultrafast Spectroscopy Laboratory (CUSL) for Materials and Device Characterization (Alberta Jobs, Economy, and Innovation Small Equipment Grant Program, RCP\u201022\u2010024\u2010SEG and the Canada Foundation for Innovation CFI\u2010JELF 42139). M.H. and C.V.D. acknowledge funding support from Actions de Recherche Concert\u00E9es (project ARC\u201021/25 UMONS) and the \u201CConsortium des Equipements de Calcul Intensif\u201D (CECI).
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