Message in a Molecule

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2016 May 4

PMID 27138465

Citations 31

Authors

Tanmay Sarkar

Karuthapandi Selvakumar

Leila Motiei

David Margulies

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Since ancient times, steganography, the art of concealing information, has largely relied on secret inks as a tool for hiding messages. However, as the methods for detecting these inks improved, the use of simple and accessible chemicals as a means to secure communication was practically abolished. Here, we describe a method that enables one to conceal multiple different messages within the emission spectra of a unimolecular fluorescent sensor. Similar to secret inks, this molecular-scale messaging sensor (m-SMS) can be hidden on regular paper and the messages can be encoded or decoded within seconds using common chemicals, including commercial ingredients that can be obtained in grocery stores or pharmacies. Unlike with invisible inks, however, uncovering these messages by an unauthorized user is almost impossible because they are protected by three different defence mechanisms: steganography, cryptography and by entering a password, which are used to hide, encrypt or prevent access to the information, respectively.

Citing Articles

Utilizing Encryption Keys Derived from Immunoaffinity Interactions as a Basis for Potential Security Enhancements.

Cowley A, Newland A, Halamkova L, Manson R, Morales J, Halamek J ACS Omega. 2025; 10(6):6119-6123.

PMID: 39989835 PMC: 11840595. DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c10568.

Lab-on-a-molecule and multi-analyte sensing.

Magri D Front Chem. 2024; 12:1393308.

PMID: 38698939 PMC: 11063248. DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2024.1393308.

A Tutorial Review on the Fluorescent Probes as a Molecular Logic Circuit-Digital Comparator.

Georgiev N, Bakov V, Bojinov V Molecules. 2023; 28(17).

PMID: 37687156 PMC: 10489932. DOI: 10.3390/molecules28176327.

Molecules that Generate Fingerprints: A New Class of Fluorescent Sensors for Chemical Biology, Medical Diagnosis, and Cryptography.

Motiei L, Margulies D Acc Chem Res. 2023; 56(13):1803-1814.

PMID: 37335975 PMC: 10324303. DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00162.

A multicolor and ratiometric fluorescent sensing platform for metal ions based on arene-metal-ion contact.

Kanegae A, Takata Y, Takashima I, Uchinomiya S, Kawagoe R, Usui K Commun Chem. 2023; 4(1):104.

PMID: 36697807 PMC: 9814090. DOI: 10.1038/s42004-021-00541-y.

References

Clelland C, Risca V, Bancroft C . Hiding messages in DNA microdots. Nature. 1999; 399(6736):533-4. DOI: 10.1038/21092. View

Beer P, Gale P . Anion Recognition and Sensing: The State of the Art and Future Perspectives. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2001; 40(3):486-516. View

Adsmond D, Grant D . Hydrogen bonding in sulfonamides. J Pharm Sci. 2001; 90(12):2058-77. DOI: 10.1002/jps.1157. View

de Silva A, Gunaratne H, Gunnlaugsson T, Huxley A, McCoy C, Rademacher J . Signaling Recognition Events with Fluorescent Sensors and Switches. Chem Rev. 1997; 97(5):1515-1566. DOI: 10.1021/cr960386p. View

Chang C, Nolan E, Jaworski J, Burdette S, Sheng M, Lippard S . Bright fluorescent chemosensor platforms for imaging endogenous pools of neuronal zinc. Chem Biol. 2004; 11(2):203-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2004.01.017. View

Kishimura A, Yamashita T, Yamaguchi K, Aida T . Rewritable phosphorescent paper by the control of competing kinetic and thermodynamic self-assembling events. Nat Mater. 2005; 4(7):546-9. DOI: 10.1038/nmat1401. View

Mutai T, Satou H, Araki K . Reproducible on-off switching of solid-state luminescence by controlling molecular packing through heat-mode interconversion. Nat Mater. 2005; 4(9):685-7. DOI: 10.1038/nmat1454. View

de Silva A, James M, McKinney B, Pears D, Weir S . Molecular computational elements encode large populations of small objects. Nat Mater. 2006; 5(10):787-90. DOI: 10.1038/nmat1733. View

Peng X, Xu Y, Sun S, Wu Y, Fan J . A ratiometric fluorescent sensor for phosphates: Zn2+-enhanced ICT and ligand competition. Org Biomol Chem. 2007; 5(2):226-8. DOI: 10.1039/b614786k. View

10.

Margulies D, Felder C, Melman G, Shanzer A . A molecular keypad lock: a photochemical device capable of authorizing password entries. J Am Chem Soc. 2007; 129(2):347-54. DOI: 10.1021/ja065317z. View

11.

Anslyn E . Supramolecular analytical chemistry. J Org Chem. 2007; 72(3):687-99. DOI: 10.1021/jo0617971. View

12.

Credi A . Molecules that make decisions. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2007; 46(29):5472-5. DOI: 10.1002/anie.200700879. View

13.

Guo Z, Zhu W, Shen L, Tian H . A fluorophore capable of crossword puzzles and logic memory. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2007; 46(29):5549-53. DOI: 10.1002/anie.200700526. View

14.

Strack G, Ornatska M, Pita M, Katz E . Biocomputing security system: concatenated enzyme-based logic gates operating as a biomolecular keypad lock. J Am Chem Soc. 2008; 130(13):4234-5. DOI: 10.1021/ja7114713. View

15.

Custelcean R . Crystal engineering with urea and thiourea hydrogen-bonding groups. Chem Commun (Camb). 2008; (3):295-307. DOI: 10.1039/b708921j. View

16.

de Silva A, Uchiyama S . Molecular logic and computing. Nat Nanotechnol. 2008; 2(7):399-410. DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2007.188. View

17.

Sakamoto T, Ojida A, Hamachi I . Molecular recognition, fluorescence sensing, and biological assay of phosphate anion derivatives using artificial Zn(II)-Dpa complexes. Chem Commun (Camb). 2008; (2):141-52. DOI: 10.1039/b812374h. View

18.

Andreasson J, Straight S, Moore T, Moore A, Gust D . An all-photonic molecular keypad lock. Chemistry. 2009; 15(16):3936-9. DOI: 10.1002/chem.200900043. View

19.

de Silva A, Moody T, Wright G . Fluorescent PET (photoinduced electron transfer) sensors as potent analytical tools. Analyst. 2009; 134(12):2385-93. DOI: 10.1039/b912527m. View

20.

Ratner T, Reany O, Keinan E . Encoding and processing of alphanumeric information by chemical mixtures. Chemphyschem. 2009; 10(18):3303-9. DOI: 10.1002/cphc.200900520. View