Jun 18 2024Reviewed by Lexie Corner
Researchers led by Bienvenu Gael Fouda-Mbanga at Nelson Mandela University in Gzeberha, South Africa, have found a new form of powder for dusting fingerprints. It enabled them to capture nanoscale features more vividly while increasing the contrast between ridges and valleys. Hybrid Advances published the study.
Fingerprint detection is one of the most essential procedures in forensics. When fingerprints are dusted with a carbon-based powder, the substance adheres to the moisture and grease left behind by the distinctive ridges and valleys on the perpetrator’s fingers. The resultant pattern can then be examined under a microscope and matched to the suspects’ fingerprints.
This novel substance, made of manganese-doped iron oxide nanoparticles and coated with activated wool char, might make it easier for forensic investigators to investigate crimes.
Metal-oxide nanoparticles have recently gained popularity for fingerprint detection. Not only are they simple to make, but they also have a large surface area and chemical reactivity, allowing them to interact strongly with the chemical components found in fingerprint residues. When coated with carbon, these nanoparticles increase the contrast of fingerprint images, making them much easier to examine.
Fouda-Mbanga’s team used a cheap, environmentally friendly “hydrothermal” approach to create the iron oxide nanoparticles for their study. They then applied activated charred wool to the particles.
This commercially accessible agricultural waste product improves the stability of the more reactive nanoparticles while also being safer to employ than traditional carbon-based powders due to its chemical inertness.
The researchers used their powder to dust fingerprint residues on a non-porous aluminum surface to assess its effectiveness. They then used several forms of light spectroscopy and electron microscopy to image the residues.
The images they generated were quite promising. They displayed a starker contrast than several of the powder types evaluated in earlier experiments and exposed features down to a nanoscale level. With this accomplishment, Fouda-Mbanga’s group now hopes to expand the potential applications of their nanoparticle fabrication method in forensic investigation.
Journal Reference:
Fouda-Mbanga, B. G., et al. (2024) Nanoarchitectonics of WLC-H3PO4–MnFe2O3 nanocomposite for latent fingerprint detection. Hybrid Advances. doi:10.1016/j.hybadv.2023.100122