Colloidal Photonic Crystals for Anti-counterfeiting:Design Strategies and Application Prospects
XU Huaguo1, ZHAO Jiupeng2, CHENG Na1, CHANG Shuo1, WANG Shen3, ZHAO Xin4, YANG Chaokun4, PAN Mengyao5,*, WANG Lebin6,*, LI Yao7,8,*
1 School of Materials and Textile Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, Zhejiang, China 2 School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150006, China 3 School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Quzhou University, Quzhou 324000, Zhejiang, China 4 Office of Discipline Construction, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan 618307, Sichuan, China 5 School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China 6 Analysis and Testing Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China 7 School of Astronautics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150006, China 8 Suzhou Laboratory, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China
Abstract: Colloidal photonic crystal (PC)-based security materials, which leverage their distinctive structural colors, tunable photonic bandgaps, and user-friendly authentication mechanisms, demonstrate remarkable potential for advanced anti-counterfeiting applications. This review systematically examines recent progress in colloidal PC-enabled security technologies. Firstly, it outlines fabrication strategies for colloidal PCs tailo-red for security purposes, covering visually detectable features, covert systems, and emerging material platforms. Subsequently, it critically eva-luates the design strategies, synthesis methods, security levels, and authentication techniques of these three categories of colloidal PC-based security materials. The paper ends with a discussion on the development prospects and key challenges in this field, providing theoretical insights and technical guidance for the construction of next-generation anti-counterfeiting material systems characterized by high security, dynamic responsiveness, and multi-modal functionalities.
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