Package hyperref Warning: Token not allowed in a PDF string (PDFDocEncoding)

Question

When loading the hyperref package like:

\usepackage[bookmarks,bookmarksnumbered]{hyperref}
\hypersetup{colorlinks = true,linkcolor = blue,anchorcolor =red,citecolor = blue,filecolor = red,urlcolor = red}

I get the following hyperref warning in my logfile:

Package hyperref Warning: Token not allowed in a PDF string (PDFDocEncoding):
(hyperref) removing `\<def>-command' on input line 174.
Package hyperref Warning: Token not allowed in a PDF string (PDFDocEncoding):
(hyperref) removing `\cnotenum' on input line 174.
Package hyperref Warning: Token not allowed in a PDF string (PDFDocEncoding):
(hyperref) removing `\<def>-command' on input line 174.
Package hyperref Warning: Token not allowed in a PDF string (PDFDocEncoding):
(hyperref) removing `\@corref' on input line 174.

But in line 174, it's just an equation:

\begin{equation}\label{eq_DefP}
\mathbf{P} = <\boldsymbol{p}> = <\boldsymbol{\sigma}>
\end{equation}

If I comment this line, it will appear in next equation. Before this line, there are also equations but no warning appears. Can anyone help me solve this warning?

Here I put a small example:

\documentclass[final,3p,times,authoryear]{elsarticle}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsthm}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{multirow}
\usepackage[bookmarks,bookmarksnumbered]{hyperref}
\hypersetup{colorlinks = true,linkcolor = blue,anchorcolor =red,citecolor = blue,filecolor = red,urlcolor = red}

\journal{Elesvier}

\begin{document}

\begin{frontmatter}

\title{Title}

\author[GRs]{author\corref{cor}}

\cortext[cor]{Corresponding author.}

\end{frontmatter}

\begin{equation}\label{eq_DefP}
\mathbf{P} = <\boldsymbol{\sigma}>
\end{equation}

\end{document}

I think it's the problem of \author[GRs]{author\corref{cor}} because when I delete the \corref{cor} it will be normal. But I need this so how can I do?

Answer 1

The problem is not the equation - that's only the place where the problem is reported. At the end of the first page hyperref stores the title and the author in the pdf info and then complains about the \corref in the author name.

The best is to insert it manually with pdfauthor:

\documentclass[final,3p,times,authoryear]{elsarticle}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsthm}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{multirow}
\usepackage[bookmarks,bookmarksnumbered]{hyperref}
\hypersetup{colorlinks = true,linkcolor = blue,anchorcolor =red,citecolor = blue,filecolor = red,urlcolor = red,
            pdfauthor=author}

\journal{Elesvier}

\begin{document}

\begin{frontmatter}

\title{Title}

\author[GRs]{author\corref{cor}}

\cortext[cor]{Corresponding author.}

\end{frontmatter}

\begin{equation}\label{eq_DefP}
\mathbf{P} = <\boldsymbol{\sigma}>
\end{equation}

\end{document}

Answer 2

A similar fix to Ulrike's is reported in this answer, with an effect similar to \texorpdfstring:

\pdfstringdefDisableCommands{%
  \def\corref#1{<#1>}%
}

Answer 3

daleif's solution works like a charm for me:

\author[add1]{Author1\texorpdfstring{\corref{cor1}}{}}
\ead{Author1@ist.edu}     % e-mail of the author

\cortext[cor1]{Corresponding author}
\address[add1]{Institute for Study of Things}