Anti-Counterfeiting Inks Based on Förster Resonance Energy Transfer in Microcrystalline Cellulose-Grafted Poly(amidoamine) for Artificial Industries
Hanieh Mardani, Hossein Roghani‐Mamaqani, Sina Shahi, Davoud Roustanavi
Abstract
Counterfeiting and inverse engineering of different artificial industries have significantly increased, which is a challenge for the originality of the crafts that are known as the cultural products of different nations. To prevent counterfeiting in the art market, it is needed to mark the original crafts with anti-counterfeiting inks using high technologies for their easy authentication. In this study, poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer-modified microcrystalline cellulose decorated with coumarin moieties was prepared to design a biobased anti-counterfeiting ink for authentication of original artificial industries based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). For this purpose, the first generation of the PAMAM dendrimer was divergently grown onto the microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) surface and subsequently decorated with coumarin moieties using a Michael addition reaction to obtain a fluorescent hybrid dendrimer. Physical incorporation of fluorescein into the aqueous hybrid dendrimer dispersion resulted in a chemosensor and also an anti-counterfeiting ink based on the FRET mechanism, where the coumarin-decorated hybrid dendrimer acts as a donor and fluorescein plays the role of an acceptor. This aqueous FRET probe based on bioresources was applicable for ion and pH sensing due to the presence of nitrogen atoms on the dendritic structure and also for preparation of anti-counterfeiting inks for use on cellulosic papers, security documents, and, most importantly, artificial industries. This work could help to reduce forgery in artificial industries, authentication of the original handicrafts from the fakes, and prevent from counterfeiting in the art market.