"The authors investigate a new information encryption method that primarily utilizes host-guest interactions to modulate the structure of self-assembling supramolecular networks (SNs) and the time-dependent photochromic behavior of the spiropyran portion embedded in the network."
In response to the latest research papers recently published in Advanced Materials by Professor Huang Feihe, Researcher Wu Ziliang, Dr. Wang Hu and others at Zhejiang University, users of The Science have commented on the above.
Figure | Related research papers (Source: Advanced Materials)
At the same time, a stream of scientific users are confident in the application prospects of the study: "Confidential government documents, company files, etc. continue to be transmitted in paper form." However, physical files can be lost or stolen, which provides incentives to improve the security of paper information, including improved encryption. With this research, the information security of physical documents has been greatly improved, and there is no need to worry about files being stolen. ”
The rapid development of information technology provides a corresponding need for improving information security.
In modern society, information can be divided into two types, one is online information and the other is offline information. Online information is ubiquitous today, but the underlying network is increasingly vulnerable to attacks that threaten information security.
As a result, paper-based encryption methods are being revived, and the physical nature of paper information reduces accessibility, thereby improving confidentiality relative to network information.
In the paper of Professor Huang Feihe and Researcher Wu Ziliang of Zhejiang University, a stimulus-response invisible ink for time-varying encryption of information was studied, which is formed by the grafting of column aromatic hydrocarbon-based supramolecular networks with spiropyran, showing photochromic behavior and adjustable fading rate over time.
Basic information about the paper
Corresponding Author:
Huang Feihe is a professor at Zhejiang University
Wu Ziliang is a researcher at Zhejiang University
Hu Wang, Ph.D., Zhejiang University
Jonathan L. Sessler, Research Fellow, University of Texas at Austin
Zachariah A. Page, Research Fellow, University of Texas at Austin
Paper Title:
Paper without a Trail: Time-Dependent Encryption using Pillar[5]arene-Based Host–Guest Invisible Ink
Field direction: chemical materials, polymer materials
Source journal: Advanced Materials
DOI：10.1002/adma.202108163
Original link:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202108163
Journal Impact Factor: 30.849
JCR partition: Q1
Why can the subject-object invisible ink achieve time-dependent encryption of information?
In fact, the principle is very clear: ultraviolet (UV) light causes colorless snail pyran to isomerize into a corresponding colored anthocyan, while visible light or heat leads to reverse isomerization, and its rate depends on the density of the subject-guest crosslink.
At the same time, color-changing kinetics are associated with anthocyanin aggregation, which becomes more pronounced as the density of host-guest crosslinking increases, resulting in reduced conversion rates and slow time-dependent fading. The degree of crosslinking and fading rate can be adjusted by adding an unbound column aromatic hydrocarbon body or nitrile object as a competitor.
Figure | Time-encrypted solutions for information (Source: Advanced Materials)
In addition, time-related information encryption is achieved by combining the selective placement of subjects and object competitors and UV patterns. The UV pattern provides an initial "fake" image that does not display the required information and that the encrypted data will only appear after a given time.
This means that the researchers demonstrate a new method of information encryption that utilizes host-guest interactions to modulate the structure of self-assembling supramolecular networks (SNs) and the time-dependent photochromic behavior of the spiropyran portion embedded in the network.
A key feature of SN is that crosslinking based on subject-object action helps to enhance the spatial resistance of the spirono-photochromic matrix, delaying the transition from the colored anthocyan form produced by the initial light irradiation back to the colorless hempanopyran, thereby reducing the rate of overall color fading of the system.
On the other hand, the rate of fading can be accelerated by adding competitive adiponitrile objects.
Thus, time-related color patterns can be encoded into SNs by lithography, allowing information to be encrypted characterized by the generation of time-related states, including those that express misleading or invalid information.
Taken together, this study provides a unique approach to enhancing the security of information storage associated with offline portable data encryption.
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