Communicating Supraparticles to Enable Perceptual, Information-Providing Matter

Materials are the fundament of the physical world, whereas information and its exchange are the centerpieces of the digital world. Their fruitful synergy offers countless opportunities for realizing desired digital transformation processes in the physical world of materials. Yet, to date, a perfect connection between these worlds is missing. From the perspective, this can be achieved by overcoming the paradigm of considering materials as passive objects and turning them into perceptual, information-providing matter. This matter is capable of communicating associated digitally stored information, for example, its origin, fate, and material type as well as its intactness on demand. Herein, the concept of realizing perceptual, information-providing matter by integrating customizable (sub-)micrometer-sized communicating supraparticles (CSPs) is presented. They are assembled from individual nanoparticulate and/or (macro)molecular building blocks with spectrally differentiable signals that are either robust or stimuli-susceptible. Their combination yields functional signal characteristics that provide an identification signature and one or multiple stimuli-recorder features. This enables CSPs to communicate associated digital information on the tagged material and its encountered stimuli histories upon signal readout anywhere across its life cycle. Ultimately, CSPs link the materials and digital worlds with numerous use cases thereof, in particular fostering the transition into an age of sustainability. The emerging concept of communicating supraparticles (CSPs), i.e., (sub-)micrometer-sized information providing additives, is presented. Their functional signal characteristics comprise an identification signature and stimuli-recorder features. Integration of customized CSPs into materials turns them from passive objects into perceptual, information-providing matter. Upon interrogation of CSPs, digitally associated information on the hosting material and its intactness is obtained on demand.image

Automated summary

Materials are the foundation of the physical world, while information and its exchange are crucial in the digital world. By integrating customizable supraparticles, materials can become perceptual and information-providing matter, linking them to the digital world.