Jing Zhang

EuSc₂Te₄, an antiferromagnetic semiconductor, exhibits a nonlinear Hall effect (NLHE) characterized by quadratic current–voltage behavior. Combined experimental and theoretical studies reveal that this NLHE is linked to its antiferromagnetism and involves contributions from the quantum metric. The findings highlight the interplay between magnetism and quantum geometry, as well as the potential applications of NLHE in THz detection and frequency mixing.

Abstract

Magnetic topological materials have recently emerged as a promising platform for studying quantum geometry by the nonlinear transport in thin film devices. In this work, an antiferromagnetic (AFM) semiconductor EuSc₂Te₄ as the first bulk crystal that exhibits quantum geometry-driven nonlinear transport is reported. This material crystallizes into an orthorhombic lattice with AFM order below 5.2 K and a bandgap of less than 50 meV. The calculated band structure aligns with the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy spectrum. The AFM order preserves combined space-time inversion symmetry but breaks both spatial inversion and time-reversal symmetry, leading to the nonlinear Hall effect (NLHE). Nonlinear Hall voltage measured in bulk crystals appears at zero field, peaks near the spin-flop transition as the field increases, and then diminishes as the spin moments align into a ferromagnetic order. This field dependence, along with the scaling analysis of the nonlinear Hall conductivity, suggests that the NLHE of EuSc₂Te₄ involves contributions from quantum metric, in addition to extrinsic contributions, such as spin scattering and junction effects. Furthermore, this NLHE is found to have the functionality of broadband frequency mixing, indicating its potential applications in electronics. This work reveals a new avenue for studying magnetism-induced nonlinear transport in magnetic materials.

This paper introduces a flexible neural probe with integrated micro-OLEDs on a flexible substrate for the first time, featuring 8 micro-OLEDs and recording electrodes for optogenetics. It uses advanced encapsulation and an IAI anode for durability, emitting 470 nm light for ChR2 activation, enabling high-resolution, minimally invasive stimulation.

Abstract

In recent optogenetics, flexible neural probes with integrated high-resolution light sources are needed for precise neural circuit analysis. This paper presents a novel flexible neural probe with integrated micro-Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED)s for the first time. Eight micro-OLEDs (sizes ranging from 10 × 10 µm² to 100 × 100 µm²) and eight recording electrodes are integrated on a flexible SU-8 substrate, allowing for simultaneous optical stimulation and neural activity recording. An advanced micro-OLED integration process, utilizing Al₂O₃/parylene-C encapsulation, achieves a low water vapor transmission rate of 2.66 × 10⁻⁵g m^{− 2} day⁻¹, enhancing durability. An indium zinc oxide (IZO)/silver (Ag)/indium zinc oxide (IZO) structure, referred to as an IAI anode, is introduced to improve OLED performance, and a parylene-C pixel defining layer minimizes crosstalk and enables independent pixel operation. The micro-OLEDs emit light at 470 nm, suitable for activating channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2), with sufficient optical power density (1 mW mm^{− 2} at 15 V) confirmed through integrating sphere measurements. This innovative OLED probe represents a significant advancement in optogenetics, providing localized high-resolution stimulation and electrical recording with minimal invasiveness.

Heterogeneous Integration of Wide Bandgap Semiconductors and 2D Materials

The heterogeneous integration of 2D materials and WBG enables the growth of high-quality WBG films and the 2D material-assisted layer transfer of them, facilitating flexible electronics and micro- LEDs. This cover image illustrates the transfer process of WBG/2D heterostructures and their potential applications in HEMTs and micro-LEDs. More details can be found in article number 2411108 by Soo Ho Choi, Yongsung Kim, Il Jeon, and Hyunseok Kim.

Soft Materials

In article number 2416095, Sebastien Rochat, Mark S. Workentin, Pierangelo Gobbo, and co-workers introduce two new hydrogels that respond to light and temperature, allowing creation of soft materials with controlled mechanical patterns. Applications include switchable actuators and mechanical data storage, with properties measured through microindentation. This advances soft materials science for robotics and information storage.

A LiNO₃-assisted confined flux growth method for synthesizing 2D LaOCl nanosheets is developed within a controlled low-temperature range. The crystal quality and dielectric properties are thoroughly characterized, and its performance is demonstrated in devices as both gate dielectric and tunneling layer. With its ability to grow at low temperatures, LaOCl emerges as a strong contender for next-generation dielectric materials.

Abstract

2D semiconductors are widely regarded as the future of highly integrated circuits, but their commercialization is hindered by the lack of suitable gate dielectrics that meet stringent performance and processing requirements. In this study, a novel LiNO₃-assisted Confined Flux Growth (CFG) method is presented that enables the synthesis of high-quality 2D LaOCl nanosheets at remarkably low temperatures (250–350 °C). The synthesized LaOCl not only shows an exciting coexistence of wide bandgap (≈5.54 eV) and high dielectric constant (≈13.8) but also can form high-quality van der Waals interfaces with 2D semiconductors. Compared to traditional methods, the CFG approach significantly reduces thermal budget, providing opportunities for facile integration with the traditional semiconductor industry. Furthermore, the multifunctional application of LaOCl is demonstrated in 2D transistors. The MoS₂ field-effect transistors (FET) gated by LaOCl exhibit excellent gate control (on/off ratio >10⁸) and low interfacial trap density. The floating-gate devices with LaOCl as the tunneling layer show an extremely large storage window (≈91%) and stable storage characteristics. These findings establish 2D LaOCl as a transformative dielectric material, paving the way for next-generation multifunctional 2D electronic devices.

Nature Physics, Published online: 24 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41567-025-02807-x

Optogenetically induced chemo-mechanical excitations are used to drive and study shape deformations in starfish oocytes. Understanding and eventually controlling such waves is important for the development of synthetic cells.

Nature Physics, Published online: 24 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41567-025-02839-3

How cells actively change their shape is an open question. Now, a reconstituted minimal cytoskeleton composed of microtubules and molecular motors is shown to produce membrane fluctuations that drive active shape changes in synthetic cells.

The piezoelectric SF film with visible periodic piezoelectric domains and excellent biocompatibility is fabricated through a feasible photochemical method with silver nanoparticles as the developer and mediator simultaneously. Consequently, the oriented piezoelectric electric field is achieved under ultrasound and effectively regulates the directional growth and length of neurite and neural gene expression.

Abstract

The development of visible periodic piezoelectric domains is highly attractive but challenging to overcome the homogeneous distribution and lack of visualization of the electric field on traditional piezopolymers. This work reports an in situ synthesis to create customized silver patterns with micron-level distinguishability. This method serves to form visible periodic piezoelectric domains and endows the silk fibroin (SF) piezoelectric generator with maximum root mean square current, energy density, and voltage of 5.1 mA, 6.7 W m⁻² and 529.5 mV, respectively, under an ultrasound intensity of 1.0 W cm⁻². The oriented piezoelectric electric field is periodically distributed into the SF film with ultrasound-driven assistance and remarkably regulates neurite directional growth, length, and gene expression. Additionally, these piezoelectric domains enable the direct and timely observation of the electric field's effect on neurites by biological microscopy. This approach paves the way for great potential in tailored electric stimulation for cell biology and medical engineering.

This review highlights the unique autonomous features of silk fibroin (SF), including self-healing, shape-morphing, and biodegradability, which enable its integration into bioelectronics. Key applications such as smart textiles, epidermal sensors, and adaptable implants are explored. The discussion addresses challenges in scalability, reproducibility, and bio-integration while presenting future directions for sustainable and multifunctional silk-based technologies.

Abstract

The development of autonomous bioelectronic devices capable of dynamically adapting to changing biological environments represents a significant advancement in healthcare and wearable technologies. Such systems draw inspiration from the precision, adaptability, and self-regulation of biological processes, requiring materials with intrinsic versatility and seamless bio-integration to ensure biocompatibility and functionality over time. Silk fibroin (SF) derived from Bombyx mori cocoons, has emerged as an ideal biomaterial with a unique combination of biocompatibility, mechanical flexibility, and tunable biodegradability. Adding autonomous features into SF, including self-healing, shape-morphing, and controllable degradation, enables dynamic interactions with living tissues while minimizing immune responses and mechanical mismatches. Additionally, structural tunability and environmental sustainability of SF further reinforce its potential as a platform for adaptive implants, epidermal electronics, and intelligent textiles. This review explores recent progress in understanding the structure–property relationships of SF, its modification strategies, and its great potential for integration into advanced autonomous bioelectronic systems while addressing challenges related to scalability, reproducibility, and multifunctionality. Future opportunities, such as AI-assisted material design, scalable fabrication techniques, and the incorporation of wireless and personalized technologies, are also discussed, positioning SF as a key material in bridging the gap between biological systems and artificial technologies.

This study explores spectrally tunable photonics barcodes using carbonized polymer dots (CPDs) based on whispering gallery mode (WGM) photoluminescence. CPDs offer wavelength-dependent emission from visible to near-infrared (NIR), thereby enabling variable WGM emissions. These barcodes are easily decoded via excitation wavelength changes, providing a high encoding capacity without structural modifications ideal for applications in multiplexed assays, anti-counterfeiting, and product authentication.

Abstract

Carbonized polymer dots (CPDs) are versatile nanomaterials with remarkable optical properties that enable their use in a wide range of photonics applications. CPDs exhibit excitation-wavelength-dependent tunable emissions that span the visible to near-infrared (NIR) spectrum. In this study, whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) emission achieved using CPDs-coated monodisperse polystyrene (CPDs@PS) microbeads is used to develop wavelength-adaptable photonic barcodes by leveraging the excitation-dependent photoluminescence of CPDs. Each resonant emission peak acts as a unique fingerprint of photonics barcodes related to the corresponding microresonator caused by WGM emission. These photonic barcodes can be easily disguised and then authenticated by varying the excitation wavelength. WGM-based barcodes can exhibit a large number of encoding capacities by adjusting the resonator diameter. Monodisperse CPDs@PS microbeads (3, 4.5, and 6 µm) are used to demonstrate adaptable photonic barcodes, which can improve the readability and reproducibility of spectral patterns for the reliable tagging and identification of commodities. Unlike traditional semiconductor quantum dots or dye-doped microresonators, this adaptive resonant emission does not require structural or chemical modifications, making it an ideal candidate for multiplexed assays, cell tagging, and tracking, anti-counterfeiting, and for ensuring the integrity and authenticity of products in various high-value sectors.

Nature, Published online: 19 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08685-w

A process based on perovskite semiconductors is described to downscale micro-LEDs and nano-LEDs to below the conventional size limits, demonstrating average external quantum efficiencies maintained at around 20% across a wide range of pixel lengths.

A strontium aluminate (SrAl₂O₄) based ML candidate is synthesized by solid-solution reaction under hybrid doping of rare earth cations (Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺, Nd³⁺). It has demonstrated highly enhanced luminous intensity, robust ML behavior, and tunable afterglow performance (50–325 s) after synergistic regulation of trap depth (≈0.88 eV). SrAl₂O₄:(Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺, Nd³⁺) based flexible ML devices suggested promising potential for distributed non-contact detection of stress and strain fields.

Abstract

Mechanoluminescence (ML) sensor-derived distributing measurement urgently needs to overcome the trade-off between luminous intensity and afterglow duration. In this article, a strontium aluminate (SrAl₂O₄) based ML sensing candidate is controllably synthesized by solid-solution reaction of powdered precursors of SrCO₃ and Al₂O₃ under hybrid doping of rare earth cations (Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺, Nd³⁺) at 1400 °C. Compared with traditional SrAl₂O₄: Eu²⁺, SrAl₂O₄: (Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺, Nd³⁺) (SAOEDN) has demonstrated highly enhanced luminous intensity (over two orders increase), robust ML behavior (300 cycles), and tunable afterglow performance (50 to 325 s) after synergistic regulation of trap depth (from 0.2 to 0.88 eV). After in situ compounding of SAOEDN with epoxy resin matrix, a flexible ML sensing film is created for distributed detection of engineering strain distribution. The ML effect triggered by mechanical deformation presented an approximately linear dependence between strain and luminous intensity with a higher spatiotemporal resolution. As a result, the engineering strain field is reconstructed via a deep learning-derived image-to-image mapping process after eliminating the disturbance of afterglow. Moreover, the SAOEDN based ML film is capable of accurately detecting and capturing fracture propagation of engineering materials. It is suggested promising potential for distributed non-contact detection of stress and strain fields in engineering applications.

This study reports a design strategy for generating bright-field resolvable physically unclonable functions with extremely rich encoding capacity coupled with outstanding thermal and chemical stability. The optical response emerges from thickness-dependent structural color formation in ZnO features, which are fabricated by physical vapor deposition through stencil masks prepared by pore formation via photothermal processing of stochastically positioned plasmonic nanoparticles.

Abstract

Identity security and counterfeiting assume a critical importance in the digitized world. An effective approach to addressing these issues is the use of physically unclonable functions (PUFs). The overarching challenge is a simultaneous combination of extremely high encoding capacity, stable operation, practical fabrication, and a widely available readout mechanism. Herein this challenge is addressed by designing an optical PUF via exploiting the thickness-dependent structural color formation in nanoscopic films of ZnO. The structural coloration ensures authentication using widely available bright-field-based optical readout, whereas the metal oxide provides a high degree of structural stability. True physical randomness in spatial position is achieved by physical vapor deposition of ZnO through stencil masks that are fabricated by pore formation in polycarbonate membranes via photothermal processing of stochastically positioned plasmonic nanoparticles. Structural coloration emerges from thin film interference as confirmed via simulation studies. The rich color variation and stochastic definition of domain size and geometry result in chaotic features with an encoding capacity that approaches (6.4 × 10⁵)^(2752×2208). Deep learning-based authentication is further demonstrated by transforming these chaotic features into unbreakable codes without field limitations. This ultra-rich encoding capacity, coupled with outstanding thermal and chemical stability, forms a new cutting edge for state-of-the-art PUF-based encoding systems.

Nature Physics, Published online: 14 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41567-025-02791-2

The flow features of cell monolayers depend on cellular interactions. Now four different types of cell monolayer are shown to exhibit robust conformal invariance that belongs to the percolation universality class.

Nature Materials, Published online: 14 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41563-025-02150-9

Differences in force transmission capabilities between competing cells create large stress fluctuation at their interface, resulting in upward forces and cell elimination, which might have implications for tissue homeostasis and tumour cell invasion.

Nature, Published online: 12 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08666-z

An optical parametric amplifier based on integrated photonic circuits fabricated using low-loss gallium phosphide-on-silicon dioxide demonstrates improved bandwidth and gain performance over state-of-the-art erbium-doped fibre amplifiers while maintaining a low noise figure.

Perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) are effectively printed and integrated into thin films using a novel patterning-induced encapsulation strategy. The PQDs-based composite films compatible with various substrates exhibit exceptional resistance to environmental challenges and demonstrate practical applications in information encryption, showcasing significant advancements in photonic and optoelectronic devices.

Abstract

Perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) are promising materials for photonic and optoelectronic devices, relying on efficient and reliable patterning methods. However, the complex patterning process and poor stability of PQDs restrict their practical applications. Here, a patterning-induced encapsulation strategy (PIE-PQDs) is demonstrated for directly patterning PQDs into a thin polystyrene (PS) film. The prepared PQDs@PS composite film displays excellent air stability (30d, 92%), UV resistance (30d, 85%), and water resistance (30d,88%). Notably, even in harsh environments such as acid/alkali/alcohol aqueous solution, the composite film still preserves high luminescence. A binary solvent engineering strategy is induced to precisely control the distribution of PQDs inside the polymer film, resulting in morphologically controllable PQDs@PS microstructures for optical information encryption. Patterned PQDs@PS composite film can be compatible with diverse substrates including silicon, glass, paper, and plastic with the feature of optical information encryption. This method shows a universal in situ protection approach for patterning and integrating PQDs on flexible substrates, offering significant potential for display, optical data storage, information encryption, and anti-counterfeiting.

Catalyzing Sulfur Conversion Reactions

The sluggish sulfur conversion reaction is a bottleneck for the improvement of lithium-sulfur battery performance. In article number 2413653, Feng Li, Zhenhua Sun, Tong Yu, and co-workers reveal that long-range interactions in high-entropy single-atom catalysts regulate the electron states, facilitating sulfur conversion. The cover illustrates that different metal atoms accelerate electron transport, thereby boosting high-rate performance.

The research develops an encapsulation-free, patterned flexible fuel cell patch (PFCP) with the capability to generate electrostimulation with precisely controlled pattern distributions by adjusting electrode configurations. The inherent adhesion and flexibility properties of the PFCP underpin its performance in vivo. The research introduces a novel and promising tool for accelerating tissue repair via the application of patterned electrostimulation.

Abstract

The distribution of electrical potentials and current in exogenous electrostimulation has significant impacts on its effectiveness in promoting tissue repair. However, there is still a lack of a flexible, implantable power source capable of generating customizable patterned electric fields for in situ electrostimulation(electrical stimulation). Herein, this study reports a fuel cell patch (FCP) that can provide in situ electrostimulation and a hypoxic microenvironment to promote tissue repair synergistically. Stable and highly efficient PtNi nanochains and PtNi nanocages electrocatalysts with anti-interference properties catalyze glucose oxidation and oxygen reduction respectively in an encapsulation-free fuel cell. The laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrode loaded with PtNi electrocatalysts is transferred to the surface of a flexible chitosan hydrogel. The resulting flexible FCP can adapt to tissues with different morphologies, firmly adhere to prevent suturing, and provide potent electrostimulation (0.403 V, 51.55 µW cm⁻²). Additionally, it consumes oxygen in situ to create a hypoxic microenvironment, increasing the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). Based on the different pattern requirements of exogenous electrostimulation during the repair of various types of tissue, an axial FCP for peripheral nerves and a flower-patterned FCP for myocardial tissue are constructed and transplanted into animals, showing significant tissue repair in both models.

Nature Electronics, Published online: 12 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41928-025-01362-w

A photoresist-free patterning technique enables scalable fabrication of two-dimensional heterostructures while preserving the electronic properties of the underlying layers.

Electrochromism

In article number 2420062, Seok-In Lim, Kwang-Un Jeong, and co-workers newly design and synthesize triphenylamine-based asymmetric monomers for secret code encryption and decryption. The TPA-A demonstrates distinctive luminescent and chromic characteristics, facilitating the development of an advanced information encryption system with dual-mode decryption achieved through shear-coating and photopolymerization processes.

This paper introduces a novel cryo-to-liquid CLEM workflow that addresses the most significant limitations of graphene liquid cells. The workflow allows imaging to be initiated at a predetermined point in space and time by vitrifying and thawing in the microscope during in situ imaging. This development in LP-EM for biological materials by characterizing the complexation of fetuin-A with calcium phosphate is demonstrated.

Abstract

Liquid phase electron microscopy (LP-EM) has emerged as a powerful technique for in situ observation of material formation in liquid. Especially the use of graphene as window material provides new opportunities to image biological processes because of graphene's molecular thickness and electron scavenger capabilities. However, in most cases the process of interest is initiated when the graphene liquid cells (GLCs) are sealed, meaning that the process cannot be imaged at early timepoints. Here, a novel cryogenic/liquid phase correlative light/electron microscopy workflow that addresses the delay time between graphene encapsulation and the start of the imaging, while combining the advantages of fluorescence and electron microscopy is reported. This workflow allows imaging to be initiated at a predetermined space and time by vitrifying and thawing at a selected time point. The workflow is demonstrated first by observing multiple day crystallization processes and subsequently highlight its potential by observing a biological process: the complexation of calciprotein particles. The ability to correlate the dynamic complexation observed in a GLC with cryogenic TEM and dynamic light scattering, confirms the validity of observations and underlines the exciting possibilities for LP-EM in biology.

Inspired by the hair structures of spiders that are used for resonant sound detection, a flexible hair-like piezoelectric acoustic particle velocity sensor (HP-APVS) is developed. The HP-APVS exhibits high sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio and has speaker recognition ability. The speaker recognition error rate of HP-APVS reached 4.7% under small amount of training data.

Abstract

Flexible resonant acoustic sensors exhibit enhanced sensitivity near their resonant frequencies and have attracted increasing interest as essential components for next-generation human-machine speech interactions. However, membrane-based resonant acoustic sensors are bulky owing to the inherently high bending stiffness of the sensing membrane. Inspired by the tiny hair-based sensitive acoustic receptors of spiders, this study reports a hair-like piezoelectric resonant acoustic particle velocity sensor (HP-APVS) that enables highly sensitive sound sensing with a significantly reduced size. The HP-APVS device is essentially a polyimide cantilever array fabricated using Nb_0.02-Pb(Zr_0.6Ti_0.4)O₃ (PZT) on polyimide and self-bending processes. The experimental results demonstrate that the HP-APVS shows a linear response to acoustic particle velocity instead of acoustic pressure, with enhanced sensitivity in the resonance mode. Additionally, the proposed HP-APVS exhibits an outstanding speaker recognition rate of 95.3% with an error rate reduction of 75% compared with that of a reference commercial microphone, indicating many potential applications in the realms of biometric authentication, voice user interfaces, and other intelligent acoustic electronics.

The monochromatic responsive hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF) heterostructure is first achieved based on the VIA-group-based framework hybridization, which enables the concealment of intrinsic fingerprint character and the expression of multicolor responsive mode, further serving as fully-covert photonic barcodes. These findings offer novel insight on exploitating smart-responsive hetero-HOFs for high-security anti-counterfeiting devices.

Abstract

Luminescent responsive heterostructures with region-domained emission and integrated responsiveness exhibit great potential in information security, but always suffer from the direct exposure of fingerprint information at the initial state, making it easy to decode the hidden confidential information. Herein, the first monochromatic responsive hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF) heterostructures are reported based on VIA-group-based framework hybridization toward fully-covert photonic barcodes. Designed HOF blocks with different VIA-group elements are integrated via a configuration-assimilation-based assembly method to generate the intrinsic monochromatic HOF heterostructures. Differentiated electronegativity of VIA-group elements endows each HOF block with distinct bonding stability, which triggers different responsive actions to the same stimuli, finally forming the multicolor emission mode at a responsive state. These monochromatic responsive HOF heterostructures can effectively hide the intrinsic fingerprint information, which further demonstrates the fully-covert photonic coding capability as high-security anti-counterfeiting labels. These findings offer novel insight on the exploitation of smart-responsive hetero-HOF systems for advanced information encryption and anticounterfeiting applications.

A miniaturized iontronic micropipette achieves precise, on-demand ionic manipulation of neurons and astrocytes with high spatiotemporal resolution. Releasing K⁺ via a sub-2 µm outlet, this device uses low currents (<200 nA) to modulate extracellular K⁺ concentration without co-delivering solvents. Validated in hippocampal slices, it offers a transformative tool for studying brain cell responses to local ion fluctuations, advancing neuroscience research.

Abstract

The composition of the extracellular milieu can vary significantly under physiological and pathological conditions, thereby altering the functional set point of brain cells. While global changes in the extracellular milieu are known to affect network activity, a detailed understanding of how specific changes in ion species impact individual cells remains elusive. Current modulation methods involve the use of diluted salts, such as KCl, where lack of precise control complicates data interpretation. This study achieves enhanced resolution by using a miniaturized iontronic micropipette. The micropipette, with a tip filled with polyelectrolyte and an outlet size below 2 µm, allows for on-demand ionic manipulation of single cells, without simultaneous co-delivery of solvents or other solutes. Electrical, chemical, and optical characterizations, supported by computational modeling, confirm the device's high spatial and temporal precision. Validated in hippocampal slices, the device demonstrates iontronic release of potassium ions (K⁺), with a low current (<200 nA), that effectively, rapidly, and reversibly modulates individually targeted neurons and astrocytes. These findings underscore the potential of iontronic micropipettes to elucidate the distinct responses of neuronal and glial cells to specific changes in the local extracellular milieu, offering insights for neuroscience research and therapeutic innovation.

Multicolor dynamic anticounterfeiting are achieved by utilizing the quantum-confinement effect of MAPbBr₃ QDs within the MOFs. This unique anticounterfeiting tag enables high PL intensity and visible recognition to the naked eye and allows for multiple authentications in both time and space dimensions. These results provide valuable insights for designing high-security, high-intensity multicolor dynamic anticounterfeiting tags.

Abstract

Multicolor dynamic optical materials exhibit significant potential in the realms of anticounterfeiting and information encryption, benefitting from their capacity for generating unpredictable optical information that changes over time. Herein, a novel approach is presented utilizing quantum-confinement effect of MAPbBr₃ quantum dots (QDs) embedded within lanthanide-metal organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs) for time-resolved multicolor dynamic anticounterfeiting applications. The dimensions of MAPbBr₃ QDs undergo temporal variations during in situ growth, resulting in dynamic alterations in luminescent color due to the quantum-confinement effect. Furthermore, the emission colors of MAPbBr₃@Eu-MOFs can be modulated by varying UV excitation wavelengths, thereby conferring a spatially distinguishable anticounterfeiting dimension. The time-resolved unpredictability of these dynamic color changes coupled with sustained luminescent intensity and multi-dimensional anticounterfeiting, render them suitable system for advanced graphical coding. These findings pave the way for the advancement of intelligent multicolor dynamic optical anticounterfeiting.