Covert thermal barcodes based on phase change nanoparticles

An unmet need is to develop covert barcodes that can be used to track-trace objects, and authenticate documents. This paper describes a new nanoparticle-based covert barcode system, in which a selected panel of solid-to-liquid phase change nanoparticles with discrete and sharp melting peaks is added in a variety of objects such as explosive derivative, drug, polymer, and ink. This method has high labeling capacity owing to the small sizes of nanoparticles, sharp melting peaks, and large scan range of thermal analysis. The thermal barcode can enhance forensic investigation by its technical readiness, structural covertness, and robustness.