SUPRAMOLECULAR ENCRYPTED FLUORESCENT SECURITY INK COMPOSITIONS

摘要

Fluorescent dyes, ink compositions comprising the dyes, methods and devices for printing the ink compositions, images printed using the ink compositions and methods for authenticating the printed images are provided. The fluorescent dyes are heterorotaxanes that include large macrocyclic rings around fluorophores and are capable of emitting solid-state fluorescence. When the heterorotaxanes are combined with encapsulating agents and competitive binding agents in aqueous solution, the resulting ink composition exhibits a complex, dynamic equilibrium that provides a tunable fluorescence emission spectrum with a non-linear response to the dye concentration.

主权项

1. A fluorescent ink composition comprising:
(a) water; (b) a heterorotaxane comprising:
(i) a substantially linear molecule comprising a central fluorophoric group, a first fluorophoric end group on one end of the substantially linear molecule, and a second fluorophoric end group on the opposite end of the substantially linear molecule;(ii) a first macrocyclic ring encircling the central fluorophoric group;(iii) a second macrocyclic ring encircling a portion of the substantially linear molecule between the first fluorophoric end group and the central fluorophoric group; and(iv) a third macrocyclic ring encircling a portion of the substantially linear molecule between the second fluorophoric end group and the central fluorophoric group; and (c) an encapsulating agent comprising a macrocyclic ring that is capable of encapsulating one or both of the first and second fluorophoric end groups.