Sequence-defined macromolecules consist of a defined chain length (single mass), end-groups, composition and topology and prove promising in application fields such as anti-counterfeiting, biological mimicking and data storage. Here we show the potential use of multifunctional sequence-defined macromolecules as a storage medium. As a proof-of-principle, we describe how short text fragments (human-readable data) and QR codes (machine-readable data) are encoded as a collection of oligomers and how the original data can be reconstructed. The amide-urethane containing oligomers are generated using an automated protecting-group free, two-step iterative protocol based on thiolactone chemistry. Tandem mass spectrometry techniques have been explored to provide detailed analysis of the oligomer sequences. We have developed the generic software tools Chemcoder for encoding/decoding binary data as a collection of multifunctional macromolecules and Chemreader for reconstructing oligomer sequences from mass spectra to automate the process of chemical writing and reading.

Lead-halide perovskite APbX 3 (A = Cs or organic cation; X = Cl, Br, I) nanocrystals (NCs) are the subject of intense research due to their exceptional characteristics as both classical and quantum light sources. Many challenges often faced with this material class concern the longterm optical stability, a serious intrinsic issue connected with the labile and polar crystal structure of APbX 3 compounds. When conducting spectroscopy at a single particle level, due to the highly enhanced contaminants (e.g., water molecules, oxygen) over the NC ratio, deterioration of NC optical properties occurs within tens of seconds with typically used excitation power densities (1−100 W/cm 2 ) and in ambient conditions. Here, we demonstrate that choosing a suitable polymer matrix is of paramount importance for obtaining stable spectra from a single NC and for suppressing the dynamic photoluminescence blueshift. In particular, polystyrene (PS), the most hydrophobic among four tested polymers, leads to the best optical stability, one to two orders of magnitude higher than that obtained with poly(methyl methacrylate), a common polymeric encapsulant containing polar ester groups. Molecular mechanics simulations based on a force-field approximation corroborate the hypothesis that PS affords for a denser molecular packing at the NC surface. These findings underscore the often-neglected role of the sample preparation methodologies for the assessment of the optical properties of perovskite NCs at a single-particle level and guide the further design of robust single photon sources.

Traditional fluorescence-based tags, used for anticounterfeiting, rely on primitive pattern matching and visual identification; additional covert security features such as fluorescent lifetime or pattern masking are advantageous if fraud is to be deterred. Herein, we present an electrohydrodynamically printed unicolour multi-fluorescent-lifetime security tag system composed of lifetime-tunable lead-halide perovskite nanocrystals that can be deciphered with both existing time-correlated single-photon counting fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy and a novel time-of-flight prototype. We find that unicolour or matching emission wavelength materials can be prepared through cation-engineering with the partial substitution of formamidinium for ethylenediammonium to generate “hollow” formamidinium lead bromide perovskite nanocrystals; these materials can be successfully printed into fluorescence-lifetime-encoded-quick-read tags that are protected from conventional readers. Furthermore, we also demonstrate that a portable, cost-effective time-of-flight fluorescence-lifetime imaging prototype can also decipher these codes. A single comprehensive approach combining these innovations may be eventually deployed to protect both producers and consumers.