Photonic crystal micropatterns and anti-counterfeiting films, methods of making, and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12552909-B2
Application number	US-202117926776-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2021
Priority date	Jun 1, 2020
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

Provided herein are methods for fabricating a porous polymer material, methods for revealing hidden anti-counterfeiting patterns, chromogenic sensors having hidden anti-counterfeiting patterns, and the like. Chromogenic sensors including porous polymer materials are provided. The chromogenic sensors can reveal hidden patterns such as anti-counterfeiting patterns and the pattern can be re-hidden.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A chromogenic sensor having a hidden anti-counterfeiting pattern comprising:
a porous polymer material comprising an ordered array of voids separated by a polymer framework, wherein the porous polymer material has a first region having the hidden anti-counterfeiting pattern and a second region; wherein the first region of the porous polymer material has a deformed state and a recovered state, wherein when the first region is in the deformed state, the voids are collapsed and the first region has a characteristic of being transparent, wherein when the first region is in the recovered state, the voids are uncollapsed and the first region has a characteristic of having an iridescent color; wherein the second region has been exposed to a programming step, thereby causing the voids of the second region to irreversibly remain in a collapsed state and wherein the second region has a characteristic of remaining transparent; wherein the hidden anti-counterfeiting pattern is not visible when the first region is in a deformed state since both the first and second regions have the characteristic of being transparent; and wherein when the first region is in a deformed state, contacting the chromogenic sensor with a trigger solvent causes the first region of the porous polymer material to be in the recovery state thereby revealing the anti-counterfeiting pattern.

2 . The chromogenic sensor of claim 1 , wherein rinsing the chromogenic sensor with water causes the first region to return to the deformed state, thereby hiding the anti-counterfeiting pattern.

3 . The chromogenic sensor of claim 1 , wherein all of the voids in the first region have substantially the same diameter.

4 . The chromogenic sensor of claim 3 , wherein the diameter of each void is about 0.03 micrometers to 10 micrometers.

5 . The chromogenic sensor of claim 4 , wherein the porous polymer material has a thickness of about 1 micrometer to 1000 micrometers.

6 . The chromogenic sensor of claim 1 , wherein the trigger solvent is selected from hexane, acetone, ethanol, toluene, or vapors thereof.

7 . The chromogenic sensor of claim 1 , wherein the chromogenic sensor is attached to an article or article packaging.

8 . The chromogenic sensor of claim 1 , wherein the polymer framework is a polymer produced by the reaction of: a blend of ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate and polyethylene glycol diacrylate, a blend of an aliphatic polyester/polyether-based trifunctional urethane acrylate oligomer and blended with tripropylene glycol diacrylate, or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Univ Florida

Inventors

• Jiang Peng
• Leverant Calen
• Zhang Yifan

Classifications

• G01N21/78

  producing a change of colour · CPC title

• C08J2335/02

  Characterised by the use of homopolymers or copolymers of esters (C08J2335/06, C08J2335/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• C08J2201/0462

  using organic solvents · CPC title

• C08J2201/044

  Elimination of an inorganic solid phase · CPC title

• C08J9/36

  After-treatment (C08J9/22 takes precedence) · CPC title