Encoding matter with regiospecific 12C/13C isotopic labels.

Society suffers due to an inability to regulate matter. This study presents a practical tool for the encryption of materials by adjusting the levels of 13C at regiospecific atoms within a molecule to generate a stable-isotopically encoded signature. This system is demonstrated by securing a document by adapting natural product chemistry as an encryption device. This approach delivers a complex signal that would be difficult to intercept due to the need for access to extraction protocols, sophisticated NMR instrumentation and a vital level of prior knowledge. Overall, this discovery offers an important tool to monitor and track valuable entities on our planet.