Metal-organic materials (MOMs) have become increasingly sought after for research on applications ranging from catalysis to drug delivery. Their prevalence in forensics, however, is still lesser known. In latent fingerprints, they react with amino acids in such a way that a grainy precipitate forms and adheres to the print, allowing for better visualization of prints. Several MOMs were synthesized using transition metals and lanthanides for the metal center and organic acids for the connecting linkers. These MOMs were then evaluated for stability and applied to latent fingerprints for visualization via precipitation and luminescence.<br/>Several application methods were explored, including sequential and mixed pipetting and sequential and mixed submersion. The efficacy was evaluated based on adherence to print residue, photographic quality, minutiae detail, and fluorescence if applicable. The methods were also compared to traditional fingerprint dusting powder methods. The lanthanides were best for visualization because of their fluorescence; they also adhered best to the amino acids in the prints overall. The mixing methods formed more precipitate as opposed to the sequential methods. With adjustment, metal-organic materials can potentially be a replacement method for lifting higher quality fingerprints in the field.

Metal-organic materials synthesis and application to development of latent fingerprints

ACS Spring 2022

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