Russian scientists have developed a unique technology for printing "invisible" images

Researchers have developed organic nanostructured ink for inkjet printing images that can only be seen in polarized light.

Demand for technologies to protect products from counterfeitinggrowing quickly. Currently, manufacturers often use QR codes and data signals, but the market still needs more affordable methods that do not require large investments. A team from the Chemical-Biological Cluster of ITMO University has created a unique technology for printing a colored invisible coating, whichcan be easily seen through the smartphone screen.

This effect is achieved due to colloidalink with programmed cellulose nanoparticles. Scientists give them certain qualities in advance, and also adjust the necessary parameters of particles and solution for printing. This allows you to select the correct concentration of ink and modify it so that the mutual attraction and repulsion of nanoparticles does not allow them to be chaotically distributed, instead collecting them parallel to each other.

The thickness of such coatings, which are formed alongas the ink is deposited, is selected taking into account certain optical phenomena observed in polarized light. In this way, you can print any full color transparent image to protect products, banknotes, tickets and various items.

As a reminder, researchers recently invented liquid crystals that can also prevent counterfeiting of money and documents.

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