Photoresponsive polymers can be conveniently used to fabricate anti-counterfeiting materials through photopatterning. However, an unsolved problem is that ambient light and heat can damage anti-counterfeiting patterns on photoresponsive polymers. Herein, photo- and thermostable anti-counterfeiting materials are developed by photopatterning and thermal annealing of a photoresponsive conjugated polymer (MC-Azo). MC-Azo contains alternating azobenzene and fluorene units in the polymer backbone. To prepare an anti-counterfeiting material, an MC-Azo film is irradiated with polarized blue light through a photomask, and then thermally annealed under the pressure of a photonic stamp. This strategy generates a highly secure anti-counterfeiting material with dual patterns, which is stable to sunlight and heat over 200 °C. A key for the stability is that thermal annealing promotes interchain stacking, which converts photoresponsive MC-Azo to a photostable material. Another key for the stability is that the conjugated structure endows MC-Azo with desirable thermal properties. This study shows that the design of photopatternable conjugated polymers with thermal-annealing-promoted interchain stacking provides a new strategy for the development of highly stable and secure anti-counterfeiting materials.
Keywords: annealing; anti-counterfeiting; conjugated polymers; photoresponsive; stable.
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