Mechanism-Encoded Afterglow Patterns for Anticounterfeiting, Information Encryption, Personalized Customization and Aesthetic Functions

The current high-end anticounterfeiting and information encryption technologies have predominantly relied on color-encoded or lifetime-encoded systems. We reason that the integration of multiple afterglow mechanisms, which are mechanism-encoded systems, could fundamentally enhance security levels. Nevertheless, the exploration of mechanism-encoded paradigms remains conspicuously absent in the literature. Here we develop four types of afterglow materials with distinct mechanisms, including room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP, T1 afterglow), thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF, S1 afterglow), anti-Kasha Tn afterglow (n ≥ 2), and organic long-persistent luminescence (OLPL), and pioneer a mechanism-encoded anticounterfeiting strategy through systematic material design. Various afterglow patterns, such as security labels, work badges, authentication certificates, and maps, were prepared through ultraviolet printing and melt casting, incorporating multiple afterglow mechanisms that make them highly resistant to counterfeiting. By employing industrial-grade equipment, we successfully achieved the large-scale production of these afterglow patterns, laying the foundation for applications in anticounterfeiting, information encryption, personalization, and aesthetic enhancement.