Mon Mar 10 00:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Indian Scientists Develop New Anti-Counterfeiting Ink
**Ahmedabad, India (March 10, 2025)** – Scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, have developed a novel ink designed to thwart counterfeiters. The ink, created using strontium bismuth fluoride (Sr2BiF7) nanoparticles doped with lanthanide ions, exhibits unique fluorescence properties under different light wavelengths.
Unlike existing fluorescent inks visible only under UV or infrared light, this new ink fluoresces in both spectrums – emitting a cool blue glow under 365nm UV light, magenta under 395nm light, and orange-red under 980nm near-infrared light. This multi-spectral fluorescence makes it significantly harder to replicate.
The ink, produced via a cost-effective coprecipitation method, also maintains its effectiveness across varying brightness, temperature, and humidity. While currently tested using screen printing, the researchers are working towards adapting it for offset printing, the standard for high-quality security printing on items like banknotes.
While acknowledging that the study didn’t report the quantum yield – a measure of fluorescence efficiency – the researchers emphasized the ink’s high brightness across different wavelengths, deeming it sufficient for practical anti-counterfeiting applications. The research was published in *ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces* in September 2024. The development is a significant step in the ongoing battle against counterfeiting, which poses a serious threat to various industries, from pharmaceuticals to consumer goods.
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