Dual‐Mode Regulation of Thermochromism in Polymer‐Dispersed Cholesteric Liquid Crystals for Photoaddressing Temperature‐Resolved Encryption
Meihui Yan, Yue Cao, Longye Dong, Weiyi Zhao, Yuzhao Yang, Qi Guo, Dengchong Feng, Shaolin Lu, Zhongke Yuan, Yang You, Jiaqiao Jiang, Cheng Wang, Xudong Chen
Abstract
Abstract Cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs), as photonic materials with unique temperature responsiveness, show great potential in smart optical applications. However, traditional CLC materials exhibit limitations in self‐supporting properties and photoaddressing regulation of thermochromism. Here, dual‐wavelength responsive donor–acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASAs) are incorporated to construct a sophisticated dual‐mode regulation system for thermochromic polymer dispersed cholesteric liquid crystals (PDCLCs), wherein CLCs are dispersed as droplet in polymer to form a self‐supporting film. This research demonstrates both the reversible photoswitching and irreversible Ultraviolet‐induced degradation of DASAs can precisely regulate the cholesteric phase temperature of PDCLCs while maintaining Bragg reflection throughout the visible spectrum. Based on these characteristics, a novel photoaddressing temperature‐resolved system is designed for fabricating anti‐counterfeiting labels, including erasable disposable labels, permanent labels, and temperature‐dependent storage indicators. Significantly, the synergistic interaction between DASA's absorption and PDCLC's Bragg reflection achieves a distinctive “flickering” effect (dynamic transitions: visible‐invisible‐visible) for temperature‐resolved display. Moreover, dual‐mode regulation enables dual‐photoaddressing temperature‐resolved encryption with secret key within a narrow temperature window, creating a “read‐and‐destroy” encryption. This study presents both a novel PDCLCs photoregulation strategy and a multi‐mode temperature‐resolved display technology with simple preparation and convenient readout, paving new ways for the applications of PDCLCs in advanced anti‐counterfeiting and information encryption.