Water soluble cadmium sulfide quantum dots for latent fingerprint detection

INOR 97

Simerjeet K. Gill, simerjeet.gill@ttu.edu, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, Russell Sanger, Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, Kwan H. Cheng, k.cheng@ttu.edu, Department of Physics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, and Louisa J Hope-Weeks, louisa.hope-weeks@ttu.edu, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409.
We report the application of water soluble cadmium sulfide (CdS) quantum dots in latent fingerprint detection. Water-soluble CdS quantum dots were synthesized by aqueous-phase arrested precipitation in the presence of various capping agents. The relationship between the synthesis conditions and quantum dot size were studied using spectroscopic techniques. Several factors such as quantum dot size, nature of substrate, pre-treatment of the fingerprints and age of fingerprint were studied in relation to successful development of fingerprint ridge detail. The fingerprint analysis studies were conducted using several substrates including glass, polystyrene, and aluminum foil. The fingerprints were visualized via illumination with a short wave ultra-violet light source and were digitally imaged. This simple, easy to use procedure shows great promise as a technique for latent fingerprint detection on a wide variety of surfaces.

 

Inorganic Materials: Applications to Environmental and Energy Research
1:30 PM-5:30 PM, Sunday, August 19, 2007 BCEC -- 203, Oral

Division of Inorganic Chemistry

The 234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19-23, 2007