Sequence‐Defined Oligourethane Isomeric Mixtures for Irreversible Encryption
Abstract
Sequence-defined polymers (SDPs) offer a promising molecular medium for information storage and encryption, yet current strategies for enhancing security typically depend on extending chain length or increasing monomer diversity-approaches that impose substantial synthetic complexity. Here, we introduce a fundamentally different encryption mechanism based on isomeric mixtures of sequence-defined oligourethanes (SDOs). Because isomeric SDOs share identical molecular weights, their mixtures collapse into a single peak in primary MALDI-TOF MS, concealing compositional identity. More critically, tandem MS fragmentation generates multiple degenerate decoding paths, preventing reconstruction of the original mixture and establishing an intrinsically one-way, irreversible molecular encryption process. Using four octameric isomers as a proof-of-concept system, we further integrate these mixtures into CMYK molecular digital inks that enable direct printing and secure information transmission. Encrypted messages can be retrieved only through a bespoke MS/MS decoding algorithm coupled with a predefined ASCII-mapping scheme. This work introduces isomeric oligomer mixtures as a new class of molecular cryptographic media, bridging chemical design with information theory and offering a scalable platform for next-generation data security and anti-counterfeiting technologies.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Supramolecular Chemistry and Complexes
Luminescence and Fluorescent Materials
Chemical Synthesis and Analysis
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Volume
- 65
- Issue
- 14
- Pages
- e9117281–e9117281
- Publication date
- 18 February 2026
- Language
- EN