Programming Multistate Aggregation‐Induced Emissive Polymeric Hydrogel into 3D Structures for On‐Demand Information Decryption and Transmission

Abstract

Fluorescent hydrogels have recently become one of the most prominent materials for smart confidential information protection. But it is still quite challenging to develop a 3D anticounterfeiting platform with on‐demand information decryption and transmission capacities, which are of great importance to achieve high‐level data protection security. Herein, robust aggregation‐induced emissive polymeric hydrogels with thermo‐triggered multistate fluorescence switching, shape memory, and self‐healing properties based on supramolecular dynamic lanthanide coordination interactions are presented. By a collective action of these promising properties, a fluorescent hydrogel‐based 3D information encoding platform is demonstrated for on‐demand information decryption, in which information pre‐encrypted in 3D hydrogel structures is stepwise decrypted by the control of external stimuli. Such unique on‐demand information decryption features are further expanded to the transmission of manifold customized messages to multiple receivers. Herein, the possibility of utilizing 3D fluorescent hydrogel structures for high‐level information encryption and on‐demand decryption is opened up.

Keywords

• aggregation-induced emissions
• information encryptions
• multistate fluorescence switching
• on-demand decryptions
• three-dimensional hydrogel structures