Abstract: A method of preparing a reference material for fluorescence spectroscopy by impregnating or otherwise placing one or more fluorophores into a solid polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) matrix. The method can include impregnating or otherwise placing the one or more fluorophores into the solid PMMA matrix by melt mixing a powder of each of the one or more fluorophores with the solid PMMA matrix to provide a mixed product comprising a homogeneous distribution of the one or more fluorophores in the PMMA and injection molding the mixed product to provide the reference material having a final shape; and/or polymerizing MMA in the presence of one or more fluorophores to form the solid PMMA matrix.

Abstract: A method of increasing the accuracy of the quantification of an analyte in a hydrocarbon, the analyte containing a marking compound, by obtaining a first sample containing (a) the hydrocarbon and (b) the marking compound, obtaining a homogeneity inducing material, contacting the homogeneity inducing material with an aliquot of the first sample in a volumetric ratio of greater than or equal to about 5:1 to produce a second sample, and determining an amount of the marking compound in the second sample using an analytical technique based on the marking material.

Abstract: A method of increasing the accuracy of the quantification of an analyte in a hydrocarbon, the analyte containing a marking compound, by obtaining a first sample containing (a) the hydrocarbon and (b) the marking compound, obtaining a homogeneity inducing material, contacting the homogeneity inducing material with an aliquot of the first sample in a volumetric ratio of greater than or equal to about 5:1 to produce a second sample, and determining an amount of the marking compound in the second sample using an analytical technique based on the marking material.

Abstract: Device and methods for detecting/quantifying a fluorescent taggant in a liquid sample. Generally, the liquid samples are fuels having low concentrations (measured in ppb) of a fluorescent taggant. The detection/quantification generates a predicted concentration of the fluorescent tagging compound using a process selected from the group of a multivariate process, a background subtraction process, or a combination of both. The invention addresses the detection of an adulteration of gasoline and diesel fuels.

Abstract: A composition comprising a fuel and at least one compound characterized by Formula I: wherein X is carbon, oxygen, or sulfur; R1 and R2 each independently are hydrogen, a C1 to C20 alkyl, or a C6 to C10 aryl; R3 and R3? each independently are hydrogen or a C1 to C4 alkyl; R4 and R4? each independently are hydrogen, a C1 to C4 alkyl, a C4 to C10 cycloalkyl, or a C6 to C10 aryl; R5 and R5? each independently are a C4 to C10 alkyl; R6 and R6? each independently are hydrogen or a C1 to C6 alkyl; and R7 and R7? each independently are hydrogen or a C1 to C4 alkyl; and wherein the compound of Formula I when subjected to GC-MS using electron ionization at greater than about 70 eV produces at least one ion having a mass-to-charge ratio of from 300 to 600.

Abstract: A composition comprising a fuel and at least one compound characterized by Formula I: wherein X is carbon, oxygen, or sulfur; R1 and R2 each independently are hydrogen, a C1 to C20 alkyl, or a C6 to C10 aryl; R3 and R3? each independently are hydrogen or a C1 to C4 alkyl; R4 and R4? each independently are hydrogen, a C1 to C4 alkyl, a C4 to C10 cycloalkyl, or a C6 to C10 aryl; R5 and R5? each independently are a C4 to C10 alkyl; R6 and R6? each independently are hydrogen or a C1 to C6 alkyl; and R7 and R7? each independently are hydrogen or a C1 to C4 alkyl; and wherein the compound of Formula I when subjected to GC-MS using electron ionization at greater than about 70 eV produces at least one ion having a mass-to-charge ratio of from 300 to 600.

Abstract: A method of forming a composition comprising contacting a fuel and at least one compound of Formula I: wherein X is carbon, oxygen, or sulfur; R1 and R2 each independently are hydrogen, a C1 to C20 alkyl, or a C6 to C10 aryl; R3 and R3? each independently are hydrogen or a C1 to C4 alkyl; R4 and R4? each independently are hydrogen, a C1 to C4 alkyl, a C4 to C10 cycloalkyl, or a C6 to C10 aryl; R5 and R5? each independently are a C4 to C10 alkyl; R6 and R6? each independently are hydrogen or a C1 to C6 alkyl; and R7 and R7? each independently are hydrogen or C1 to C4 alkyl; and wherein the compound of Formula I when subjected to GC-MS using electron ionization at greater than 70 eV produces at least one ion having a mass-to-charge ratio of 300 to 600.

Abstract: Formation of an authentication element by deposition of a metal layer with embedded particles on a metal substrate, wherein the embedded particles are configured to convert energy from one wavelength to another. The embedded particles may be upconverters, downconverters, or phosphorescent phosphors, which can be detected and measured with analytical equipment when deposited in the metal layer. A metal substrate may include coinage.

Abstract: Formation of an authentication element by deposition of a metal layer with embedded particles on a metal substrate, wherein the embedded particles are configured to convert energy from one wavelength to another. The embedded particles may be upconverters, downconverters, or phosphorescent phosphors, which can be detected and measured with analytical equipment when deposited in the metal layer. A metal substrate may include coinage.

Abstract: Formation of an authentication element by deposition of a metal layer with embedded particles on a metal substrate, wherein the embedded particles are configured to convert energy from one wavelength to another. The embedded particles may be upconverters, downconverters, or phosphorescent phosphors, which can be detected and measured with analytical equipment when deposited in the metal layer. A metal substrate may include coinage.

Abstract: A composition comprising a fuel and at least one compound characterized by Formula I: wherein X is carbon, oxygen, or sulfur; R1 and R2 each independently are hydrogen, a C1 to C20 alkyl, or a C6 to C10 aryl; R3 and R3? each independently are hydrogen or a C1 to C4 alkyl; R4 and R4? each independently are hydrogen, a C1 to C4 alkyl, a C4 to C10 cycloalkyl, or a C6 to C10 aryl; R5 and R5? each independently are a C4 to C10 alkyl; R6 and R6? each independently are hydrogen or a C1 to C6 alkyl; and R7 and R7? each independently are hydrogen or a C1 to C4 alkyl; and wherein the compound of Formula I when subjected to GC-MS using electron ionization at greater than about 70 eV produces at least one ion having a mass-to-charge ratio of from 300 to 600.

Abstract: A compound characterized by Formula I: wherein X can be carbon (C), oxygen (O), or sulfur (S); R1 and R2 can each independently be hydrogen, a C1 to C20 alkyl group, or a C6 to C10 aryl group; R3 and R3? can each independently be hydrogen or a C1 to C4 alkyl group; R4 and R4? can each independently be hydrogen, a C1 to C4 alkyl group, a C4 to C10 cycloalkyl group, or a C6 to C10 aryl group; R5 and R5? can each independently be a C4 to C10 alkyl group; R6 and R6? can each independently be hydrogen or a C1 to C6 alkyl group; and R7 and R7? can each independently be hydrogen or a C1 to C4 alkyl group; and wherein the compound characterized by Formula I when subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) using electron ionization produces at least one ion having a mass-to-charge ratio of greater than about 300 at an ionization energy of equal to or greater than about 70 eV.

Abstract: A method of forming a composition comprising contacting a fuel and at least one compound of Formula I: wherein X is carbon, oxygen, or sulfur; R1 and R2 each independently are hydrogen, a C1 to C20 alkyl, or a C6 to C10 aryl; R3 and R3? each independently are hydrogen or a C1 to C4 alkyl; R4 and R4? each independently are hydrogen, a C1 to C4 alkyl, a C4 to C10 cycloalkyl, or a C6 to C10 aryl; R5 and R5? each independently are a C4 to C10 alkyl; R6 and R6? each independently are hydrogen or a C1 to C6 alkyl; and R7 and R7? each independently are hydrogen or C1 to C4 alkyl; and wherein the compound of Formula I when subjected to GC-MS using electron ionization at greater than 70 eV produces at least one ion having a mass-to-charge ratio of 300 to 600.

Abstract: A method of determining adulteration of a fuel including subjecting to an analytical technique a marked fuel mixture comprising (a) a fuel; (b) a compound characterized by Formula I: wherein X is carbon, oxygen, or sulfur; when X is O or S, R1 and R2 are lone non-bonding electron pairs; when X is C, R1 and R2 each independently are hydrogen, C1 to C20 alkyl, or C6 to C10 aryl; R3 and R3? each independently are hydrogen or C1 to C4 alkyl; R4 and R4? each independently are hydrogen, C1 to C4 alkyl, C4 to C10 cycloalkyl, or C6 to C10 aryl; R5 and R5? each independently are C4 to C10 alkyl; R6 and R6? each independently are hydrogen or C1 to C6 alkyl; and R7 and R7? each independently are hydrogen or C1 to C4 alkyl; and (c) a heavy compound, wherein the heavy compound comprises a compound of Formula I having at least one atom replaced with an isotope tag.

Abstract: Formation of an authentication element by deposition of a metal layer with embedded particles on a metal substrate, wherein the embedded particles are configured to convert energy from one wavelength to another. The embedded particles may be upconverters, downconverters, or phosphorescent phosphors, which can be detected and measured with analytical equipment when deposited in the metal layer. A metal substrate may include coinage.

Abstract: Marking a petroleum product includes adding a covert dye selected from the group consisting of azadipyrromethene dyes, dipyrromethene dyes, and any combination thereof to the petroleum product and distributing the dye in the petroleum product. A petroleum product selected for analysis may be spectroscopically analyzed for the presence of an azadipyrromethene dye, a dipyrromethene dye, or a combination thereof. A concentration of at least one azadipyrromethene or dipyrromethene dye present in the portion of the petroleum product may be determined to identify the petroleum product as counterfeit, adulterated, or authentic based on the determined concentration of the azadipyrromethene or dipyrromethene dye.

Abstract: Device and methods for detecting/quantifying a fluorescent taggant in a liquid sample. Generally, the liquid samples are fuels having low concentrations (measured in ppb) of a fluorescent taggant. The detection/quantification generates a predicted concentration of the fluorescent tagging compound using a process selected from the group of a multivariate process, a background subtraction process, or a combination of both. The invention addresses the detection of an adulteration of gasoline and diesel fuels.

Abstract: Formation of an authentication element by deposition of a metal layer with embedded particles on a metal substrate, wherein the embedded particles are configured to convert energy from one wavelength to another. The embedded particles may be upconverters, downconverters, or phosphorescent phosphors, which can be detected and measured with analytical equipment when deposited in the metal layer. A metal substrate may include coinage.

Abstract: Formation of an authentication element by deposition of a metal layer with embedded particles on a metal substrate, wherein the embedded particles are configured to convert energy from one wavelength to another. The embedded particles may be upconverters, downconverters, or phosphorescent phosphors, which can be detected and measured with analytical equipment when deposited in the metal layer. A metal substrate may include coinage.

Abstract: Device and methods for detecting/quantifying a fluorescent taggant in a liquid sample. Generally, the liquid samples are fuels having low concentrations (measured in ppb) of a fluorescent taggant. The detection/quantification generates a predicted concentration of the fluorescent tagging compound using a process selected from the group of a multivariate process, a background subtraction process, or a combination of both. The invention addresses the detection of an adulteration of gasoline and diesel fuels.