NIT Rourkela and IIT Teams Develop Lead-Free Materials for Security Inks

28 Oct 2026, 3:36 pm · 10h ago · 1 min read · YourStory

Researchers from NIT Rourkela, alongside teams from IIT Guwahati, IIT Bombay, and NISER Bhubaneswar, have developed novel lead-free light-emitting materials for commercial security and lighting applications. Formulated using non-toxic bismuth-based compounds, the materials emit distinct colors under ultraviolet light while reacting reversibly to ambient heat and moisture. This breakthrough replaces hazardous lead-based photoluminescent substances commonly utilized in luminescent technologies. The responsive compounds hold strong commercial promise for anti-counterfeiting applications, enabling specialized security inks for authenticating official certificates, product labels, and signatures via controlled heat and UV light verification in industrial sensing systems.