Powder materials have been used routinely for the detection of fingerprints in the Forensic Science Field. Previous studies in the application of nanostructure Zinc Oxide (ZnO) powder to fingermarks impressions are reported in the literature. However more studies in the application of nanoparticles to the improvement of fingermarks detection are needed. Our work consisted in the evaluation of the effectiveness of nanostructures materials for the enhancement of fingermarks impression resolution. We successfully achieved the synthesis of nanostructure ZnO powder1. A preliminary study was performed using Aluminum and ZnO powders. Fresh fingermarks and aged fingermarks on dry nonporous surfaces were studied. Sebaceus fingermarks and natural sweat fingermarks impressions were obtained by volunteer students. The impressions samples were divided in three groups for the study. Group I was treated at the moment, group two and three were treated four and ten days later, respectively. It was found that the samples treated with nanostructure ZnO powder presented higher definitinion and details than the samples treated with Aluminum powder. powde. Fingermarks prepared with the natural fingers sweat shows more definition and details. Also we are working in the coupling of metal nanoparticles and fluorescent semiconductor nanoparticles with the nanostructure ZnO powder for their application in wet and porous surfaces.Keywords: Nano/Materials, fingermarks, fluorescent nanoparticles, forensic science

Synthesis of nanostructured materials and their application to fingermarks

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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