Advances in lanthanide-doped upconversion nanomaterials in security inks: a comprehensive review
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Smart functional materials with intriguing optical properties play a crucial role due to their diverse applications in anticounterfeiting solutions. This review addresses the challenges posed by different counterfeiting activities and introduces various techniques to contest the ever-growing threats. The focus is primarily on potential lanthanide-doped upconversion nanomaterials, which are engineered to create different versions of security inks as countermeasures for counterfeiting. Furthermore, the evolution of these nanomaterials is discussed, showcasing their contribution towards enhancing the complexity of anticounterfeit solutions. The article also discusses the limitations and future scope of synthesizing smart nanomaterials to tackle counterfeiting issues. This comprehensive review will be beneficial in developing futuristic anticounterfeit solutions by exploiting the unique features of Ln-doped nanomaterials to the demanding and challenging field of anti-counterfeiting through security inks. Graphical abstract
Authors: P. J. Anand, Rakshitha K. Jain, Dhanya Sunil
Institution: Manipal Academy of Higher Education
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,090
OpenAlex ID: W7154176037