Tamper-evident materials, adhesives, seals, and containers

Abstract

Described herein are tamper-evident adhesive seals for sealing articles, containers, and other enclosure in which a covert tamper evidencing agent is included in an adhesive sealing material. The presence of the covert tamper evidencing agent reveals evidence of tampering when exposed to UV light.

1 - 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . A composition that covertly reveals whether an article associated with the composition has been tampered with, comprising:
 (a) a covert tamper evidencing agent that, when tampered with, covertly reveals tampering; and   (b) a resin carrier for the covert tamper evidencing agent.   
     
     
         51 . The composition of  claim 50 , wherein the covert tamper evidencing agent emits detectable light when exposed to UV light; and/or wherein the covert tamper evidencing agent emits light in the visible light spectrum. 
     
     
         52 . The composition of  claim 50 , wherein the covert tamper evidencing agent comprises an aggregation induced emission luminogenic material; or a room temperature organic phosphor luminogenic material; or a compound selected from 10,10′,11,11′-tetrahydro-bi-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cycloheptene, tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         53 . The composition of  claim 52 , wherein: the aggregation induced emission material is a luminogenic benzazole derivative; or the aggregation induced emission material 1,1,2-tetraphenylethylene and derivatives thereof, or the aggregation induced emission material comprises a silole selected from 1,1,2,3,4,5-hexaphenyl-1H-silole and 2,5-bis[4-(azidomethyl)phenyl]-1,1-dimethyl-3,4-diphenyl-1H-silole; and/or wherein the room temperature organic phosphor is selected from 1-(dibenzo[b,d]furan-2-yl) phenylmethanone, 1,4-phenylene bis(phenylmethanone), 1,3-phenylene bis(4-fluorophenyl)methanone, dibenzo[b,d]thiophen-2-yl (4-fluorophenyl)methanone, (9H-carbazol-9-yl)(4-chlorophenyl)methanone, 2,5-dihexyloxy-4-bromobenzaldehyde, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         54 . The composition of  claim 53 , wherein the luminogenic benzazole derivative is selected from a luminogenic benzoxazole compound and a luminogenic benzothiazole compound; and/or wherein the 1,1,2-tetraphenylethylene derivatives are selected from 4,4′-bis(triphenylethenyl)-1,1′-biphenyl, 1,2-bis[4-(azidomethyl)phenyl]-1,2-diphenylethene, 1,2-bis[4-(bromomethyl)phenyl]-1,2-diphenylethene, 1,2-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,2-diphenylethene, [(1,2-diphenylethene-1,2-diyl)bis(4,1-phenylene)]diboronic acid, 4,4′-(1,2-diphenylethene-1,2-diyl)dibenzoic acid, 4,4′-(1,2-diphenylethene-1,2-diyl)diphenol, 1-{4-[1,2-diphenyl-2-(p-tolyl)vinyl]phenyl}-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione, 4,4′,4″,4″′-(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrayl)tetraphenol, sodium 3,3′-{[(1,2-diphenylethene-1,2-diyl)bis(4,1-phenylene)]bis(oxy)}bis(propane-1-sulfonate), and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         55 . The composition of  claim 50 , wherein the resin carrier comprises a material selected from a liquid rosin ester resin and a solid rosin ester resin; optionally wherein the covert tamper evidencing agent is dispersed in the resin carrier. 
     
     
         56 . An adhesive sealing material that provides covert indication that a seal including the adhesive sealing material has been tampered with, comprising:
 (a) an adhesive; and   (b) the composition of  claim 50 ;   wherein the composition is mixed into the adhesive.   
     
     
         57 . The adhesive sealing material of  claim 56 , which comprises 0.02 wt % to about 10.0 wt % of the composition, based on the total weight of the adhesive sealing material; and/or wherein the amount of covert tamper evidencing agent in the adhesive sealing material is 0.01 wt % to 5.0 wt %, based on the total weight of the adhesive sealing material. 
     
     
         58 . The adhesive sealing material of  claim 56 , wherein the adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive material. 
     
     
         59 . A sealable article for holding an item, comprising:
 (a) an enclosure having an opening; and   (b) the adhesive sealing material of  claim 56 ;   wherein the adhesive sealing material is located in the opening of the enclosure.   
     
     
         60 . The sealable article for holding an item of  claim 59 , wherein the enclosure is comprised of two sheets of film that are sealable together, and wherein the adhesive sealing material is present on at least one of the two sheets of film in the opening of the enclosure. 
     
     
         61 . The sealable article for holding an item of  claim 59 , which further comprises a release film positioned on the adhesive sealing material; and/or wherein the enclosure further comprises a flap. 
     
     
         62 . The sealable article for holding an item of  claim 60 , wherein the adhesive sealing material forms a seal between the two sheets of film, whereby the sealable article is in a sealed state. 
     
     
         63 . A method of determining whether a seal of a sealed article has been tampered with, comprising the steps of:
 (a) exciting a covert tamper evidencing agent in a seal of a sealed article to emit light, the exciting comprising exposing the seal to UV light, the seal being comprised of the adhesive sealing material of  claim 59 ; and   (b) inspecting the light emitted by the exposed seal for one or more indications that the sealed article has been tampered with.   
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the one or more indications are discontinuities or irregularities in the light emitted by the seal. 
     
     
         65 . An adhesive composition that covertly reveals whether an article associated with the composition has been tampered with, comprising:
 (a) a covert tamper evidencing agent that, when tampered with, covertly reveals tampering; and   (b) an adhesive carrier for the covert tamper evidencing agent;   optionally wherein the covert tamper evidencing agent is dispersed in the adhesive carrier.   
     
     
         66 . The adhesive composition of  claim 65 , wherein the covert tamper evidencing agent emits detectable light when exposed to UV light; and/or wherein the covert tamper evidencing agent emits light in the visible light spectrum. 
     
     
         67 . The adhesive composition of  claim 65 , wherein the covert tamper evidencing agent comprises an aggregation induced emission luminogenic material; or a room temperature organic phosphor luminogenic material; or a compound selected from 10,10′,11,11′-tetrahydro-bi-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cycloheptene, tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         68 . The adhesive composition of  claim 67 , wherein: the aggregation induced emission material is a luminogenic benzazole derivative; or the aggregation induced emission material 1,1,2-tetraphenylethylene and derivatives thereof; or the aggregation induced emission material comprises a silole selected from 1,1,2,3,4,5-hexaphenyl-1H-silole and 2,5-bis[4-(azidomethyl)phenyl]-1,1-dimethyl-3,4-diphenyl-1H-silole; and/or wherein the room temperature organic phosphor is selected from 1-(dibenzo[b,d]furan-2-yl) phenylmethanone, 1,4-phenylene bis(phenylmethanone), 1,3-phenylene bis(4-fluorophenyl)methanone, dibenzo[b,d]thiophen-2-yl (4-fluorophenyl)methanone, (9H-carbazol-9-yl)(4-chlorophenyl)methanone, 2,5-dihexyloxy-4-bromobenzaldehyde, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         69 . The adhesive composition of  claim 68 , wherein the luminogenic benzazole derivative is selected from a luminogenic benzoxazole compound and a luminogenic benzothiazole compound; and/or wherein the 1,1,2-tetraphenylethylene derivatives are selected from 4,4′-bis(triphenylethenyl)-1,1′-biphenyl, 1,2-bis[4-(azidomethyl)phenyl]-1,2-diphenylethene, 1,2-bis[4-(bromomethyl)phenyl]-1,2-diphenylethene, 1,2-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,2-diphenylethene, [(1,2-diphenylethene-1,2-diyl)bis(4,1-phenylene)]diboronic acid, 4,4′-(1,2-diphenylethene-1,2-diyl)dibenzoic acid, 4,4′-(1,2-diphenylethene-1,2-diyl)diphenol, 1-{4-[1,2-diphenyl-2-(p-tolyl)vinyl]phenyl}-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione, 4,4′,4″,4″′-(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrayl)tetraphenol, sodium 3,3′-{[(1,2-diphenylethene-1,2-diyl)bis(4,1-phenylene)]bis(oxy)}bis(propane-1-sulfonate), and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         70 . The adhesive composition of  claim 65 , wherein the adhesive carrier is a pressure sensitive adhesive material. 
     
     
         71 . The adhesive composition of  claim 65 , wherein the amount of covert tamper evidencing agent in the adhesive carrier is about 0.01 wt % to about 5.0 wt %, based on the total weight of the adhesive composition. 
     
     
         72 . A sealable article for holding an item, comprising:
 (a) an enclosure having an opening; and   (b) the adhesive composition of  claim 65 ;   wherein the adhesive composition is located in the opening of the enclosure.   
     
     
         73 . The sealable article for holding an item of  claim 72 , wherein the enclosure is comprised of two sheets of film that are sealable together, and wherein the adhesive composition is present on at least one of the two sheets of film in the opening of the enclosure. 
     
     
         74 . The sealable article for holding an item of  claim 72 , which further comprises a release film positioned on the adhesive composition; and/or wherein the enclosure further comprises a flap. 
     
     
         75 . The sealable article for holding an item of  claim 73 , wherein the adhesive composition forms a seal between the two sheets of film, whereby the sealable article is in a sealed state. 
     
     
         76 . A method of determining whether a seal of a sealed article has been tampered with, comprising the steps of:
 (a) exciting a covert tamper evidencing agent in a seal of a sealed article to emit light, the exciting comprising exposing the seal to UV light, the seal being comprised of the adhesive composition of  claim 65 ; and   (b) inspecting the light emitted by the exposed seal for one or more indications that the sealed article has been tampered with.   
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 76 , wherein the one or more indications are discontinuities or irregularities in the light emitted by the seal.