Pressure encryption toward physically uncopiable anti-counterfeiting
Current optical anti-counterfeiting technologies are mainly limited to materials with multicolor emissions, where the encryption method is only through photoexcitation. It brings about a huge risk for counterfeiting once these materials are reproduced. Here, we introduce a robust pressure encryption as the pressure engineering secret key to strengthen current optical anti-counterfeiting technique from pressure-induced emission luminogens. Through loading different pressures, the initially non-emissive 0D hybrid halide (C<sub>7</sub>H<sub>11</sub>N<sub>2</sub>, 4DMAP)<sub>2</sub>ZnBr<sub>4</sub> shows at least 8 different distinct bright emission colors. These color changes are attributed to controllable tuning of charge transfer and local excitation implemented by pressure treatment. Moreover, the unique color tuning through pressure loading, randomized distribution of the fluorescent particles, as well as designated micro-nano patterns greatly enhance the security capability of current visual information encryption, which serves as the triple-level physically uncopiable optical anti-counterfeiting technique. Our work provides a promising strategy of materials-by-design for high-performance anti-counterfeiting, imaging and information storage applications.
Authors
- Guanjun Xiao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7013-1378)
- Jiajun Qin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9956-2358)
- Zhaodong Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3475-7701)
- Bo Zou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3215-1255)
- Qiaoshi Zeng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5960-1378)
- Shunxin Li
- Fujun Lan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9617-693X)
- Lijun Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6438-5486)
- Jiayi Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2614-4371)
- Yang Su
- Feng wei Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2582-1740)
- Pengfei Lv (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0523-6261)
- Yuchen Shang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5709-0914)
- Feng Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8491-7312)
- Xianli Yin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0746-5321)
- Dianlong Zhao
Institutions
- Linköping University (SE)
- Jilin University (CN)
- Jilin Jianzhu University (CN)
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute (CN)
- Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research (CN)
- Jilin Agricultural University (CN)
- Changchun University (CN)
- Dalian Minzu University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-07-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61509-3
- Citations
- 17
- Primary Topic
- Luminescence and Fluorescent Materials
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 8.80
Funders
- Salt Science Research Foundation
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Linköpings Universitet
- Jilin University
- Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse