Fluorescent Nanomaterials for the Development of Latent Fingerprints in Forensic Sciences

Abstract

This review presents an overview on the application of latent fingerprint development techniques in forensic sciences. At present, traditional developing methods such as powder dusting, cyanoacrylate fuming, chemical method, and small particle reagent method, have all been gradually compromised given their emerging drawbacks such as low contrast, sensitivity, and selectivity, as well as high toxicity. Recently, much attention has been paid to the use of fluorescent nanomaterials including quantum dots (QDs) and rare earth upconversion fluorescent nanomaterials (UCNMs) due to their unique optical and chemical properties. Thus, this review lays emphasis on latent fingerprint development based on QDs and UCNMs. Compared to latent fingerprint development by traditional methods, the new methods using fluorescent nanomaterials can achieve high contrast, sensitivity, and selectivity while showing reduced toxicity. Overall, this review provides a systematic overview on such methods.

Impact of Lanthanide Nanomaterials on Photonic Devices and Smart Applications

“…The clear identification of the details highly depends on the features of the luminescent materials, which serves as probes to generate optical contrast. In this section, we simply highlight the usability and superiority of lanthanide‐doped nanoparticles in fingerprint detection, since the detailed progress of this topic has been reviewed recently …”

“…The fast moving field of lanthanide‐containing luminescent nanoparticles has been the subject of many recent reviews covering subjects as diverse as fundamental properties, synthesis, biosensing, bioimaging, drug delivery and theranostics, as well as persistent luminescence nanoparticles, NIR‐emitting nanoparticles, and forensic or other applications . The present review focuses on biological/medical applications and on lighting/displays, two main sectors in which nanomaterials have brought significant advances recently.…”

Latent Fingerprint Imaging Using Dy and Sm Codoped HfO2 Nanophosphors: Structure and Luminescence Properties

“…Latent fingerprints (LFPs) are peculiarly utilized for individual identification at a crime scene and in forensic sciences. By virtue, LFPs are unique and unchanged to an individual . Different methods for development of LFPs are actively employed including powder dusting, cyanoacrylate fuming, silver nitrate method, etc .…”

“…Different methods for development of LFPs are actively employed including powder dusting, cyanoacrylate fuming, silver nitrate method, etc . In particular, standard powder dusting method uses metallic, magnetic, and fluorescent powders for development of LFPs . Unlike metallic and magnetic powders which suffer from low resolution and contrast, the fluorescent powders provide relatively high contrast, better resolution and selectivity with low background interference .…”

“…While performing dusting procedure, the nanoparticles easily adhere to oily substances between papillary ridges forming the complex visible fingerprint which is finally imaged under a light source. On the other hand, the powders containing coarse grains do not preferably stick and stay prolonged over object surface . In this regard, Wang et al report the potential use of NaYF 4 :Yb,Er green‐emitting fluorescent upconversion nanoparticles having particle size of ≈15–35 nm for enhanced development of LFPs after exciting with 980 nm near‐infrared (NIR) light .…”