Counterfeit items are progressively infiltrating different industries and goods, including currencies and pharmaceuticals as well as more specialized technology such as sensitive electronics. The economic and safety concerns of counterfeit products necessitate the development of anti-counterfeit platforms that perform quick, reliable, and cost-effective authentication; tracking and tracing of products; and detection of potential tamper activity. Template-Assisted Self-Assembly (TASA) of plasmonic nanoparticles (NP) addressed these needs by creating niche unique images through the scattering responses of NP clusters assembled in an array. Templates with selected array dimensions were used as a tool to manipulate the arrangement of the NP clusters, resulting in assortment of unique images for tagging goods in lots. These unique images were authenticated with algorithms abstracting Red-Blue-Green values from the NP cluster patterns. Au and Ag NPs were prioritized due to their tunable optical responses in visible spectral range. Evidence against tamper and misuse was also built into the unique anti-counterfeit tags by leveraging the environmental sensitivity of the plasmonic NPs.

Development of anticounterfeit tags using template-assisted self-assembly of metal nanoparticles

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.