Water-induced phase separation ionogel for Recyclable information encryption

The rapid advancement of Information Technology entails a surge in information theft and forgery, which further boosts the development of encryption technology in the field of information storage and anti-counterfeiting. Inspired by the limitable swelling properties of regularly arranged keratin in human skin after prolonged water immersion, a liquid metal induced self-polymerized ionogel was synthesized for spatial and temporal information encryption. The compositing of hydrophobic and hydrophilic monomers in polymer networks promotes the ionogel structural heterogeneity, enabling a rapid and reversible phase separation and a followed transparency transition after swelling in water. Concretely, the ionogel transitions to a completely white state after swelling 20 min and regains transparency after dehydration at 50 ℃ for 20 min. This temporal dimension can be introduced into the encryption process to ensure accurate information, where the message can only be retrieved at the detailed time point. Additionally, light scattering and refraction by reason of phase separation engender different light transmissivities of varying heights, enabling further information encryption in space dimensions. This research delves into the effects of phase separation on light interaction and its induction, providing initial insights into potential applications in the field of information security.