Issue 23, 2017

Beyond binary: optical data storage with 0, 1, 2, and 3 in polymer films

Abstract

The evergrowing amount of data created and collected is met with the increased need to store this data. In compliment to improving data storage capabilities using engineering controls such as decreased pixel size (i.e., Blu-ray) or 3-D pixels (i.e., voxels), chemistry-based approaches are required to move beyond current limitations and meet our future needs. Herein, we present a new methodology to optically store data in a quaternary code of 0, 1, 2, 3 in a commodity polymer containing a low loading of two small molecules, and using heat and UV light to write, and read fluorescence output. The as-prepared film is non-fluorescent (0), and can be written through a wooden or metal mask with thermal treatment (1), light treatment (2), or both (3), giving three different colours of fluorescence under UV irradiation. The flexible polymer film remains colourless and transparent under ambient light after patterning, retains the stored data after exfoliation with sandpaper, and can be removed from the substrate and mechanically deformed without detriment to the pattern. This straightforward and scalable system demonstrates the use of simple and robust chemical reactions to improve data storage capabilities and has the potential to exponentially increase information density.

Graphical abstract: Beyond binary: optical data storage with 0, 1, 2, and 3 in polymer films

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 mar 2017
Accepted
22 mar 2017
First published
22 mar 2017

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2017,5, 5780-5786

Beyond binary: optical data storage with 0, 1, 2, and 3 in polymer films

P. Wei, B. Li, A. de Leon and E. Pentzer, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2017, 5, 5780 DOI: 10.1039/C7TC00929A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements