Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
  • 2 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia. naji.arafat@utm.my
  • 3 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia. roswanira@utm.my
  • 4 Human and Societal Well-being Research Centre, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 5 Forensic Science Programme, School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
Biotechnol Lett, 2021 Apr;43(4):881-898.
PMID: 33389272 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-020-03052-3

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Optimisation of the green novel nanobio-based reagent (NBR) for rapid visualisation of groomed fingerprints on wet non-porous substrates using response surface methodology and assessment of its stability and sensitivity were attempted for forensic applications.

RESULTS: Scanning electron microscopy images demonstrated successful attachments of NBR onto the constituents of fingerprints on the substrates. The highest average quality of visualised fingerprints was attained at the optimum condition (100 mg of CRL; 75 mg of acid-functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes; 5 h of immobilisation). The NBR produced comparable average quality of fingerprints with the commercially available small particle reagent, even after 4 weeks of storage (without any preservatives) in both chilled and sultry conditions. The NBR was sensitive enough to visualise the increasingly weaker fingerprints, particularly on glass slides.

CONCLUSION: The optimised novel NBR could be the relatively greener option for visualising latent fingerprints on wet, non-porous substrates for forensic applications.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.