MAHARSHI DAYANAND UNIVERSITY
Submitted by: Mohit Kumar
Roll no. : 2318 Submitted to: Dr.. Neelkamal Sharma
[Link] Forensic science
(Previous year )
TOPIC
Chemical methods to develop latent fingerprint
Contents :
• Latent fingerprint
• How to develop latent fingerprint
• Methods of detecting fingerprint
• Ninhydrin method
• Silver nitrate method
• Super glue method
• Iodine fuming method
• 1,8 – Diazafluoren-9-one (DFO) method
• Fluorescence method
• Osmic acid method
• 1,2 indonedione method
• Amido black method
• Vaccum metal deposition method
What is latent fingerprint ?
Latent fingerprints are invisible to the naked eye and are
made of sweat, oil, and other natural secretions on the skin.
They are left behind when the body’s natural oils and sweat
are deposited onto another surface.
How to develop latent fingerprint ?
A Variety of techniques , including chemical laser ,
alternate light source ,chemical method development ,
powders method and other mean are used by the
forensic investigator to detect and devlop latent
fingerprint.
Ninhydrin method :
• First used in 1959 for Forensic
• Ninhydrin is used on porous surface like paper and wall
• The ninhydrin test is a chemical test that detects the
presence of amino acids, primary/secondary amines, or
ammonia.
• The test involves adding ninhydrin reagent to the test
sample.
• If the sample contains an amino group, the reagent
produces a deep blue color, also known as Ruhemann’s
purple.
Procedure :
• First a 2% solution of ninhydrin must be
prepared by dissolving 0.2 grams of ninhydrin in
10ml of either ethanol or acetone
• Now a 1% solution of the amino acid (analytic)
in distilled water must be prepared.
• A few drops of the 2% ninhydrin solution must
be added to this solution.
• Appear blue or purple colour .
Silver nitrate method :
• It is based on the fact that the sodium chloSilver nitrate solution can be applied by
brushing spraying or by dipping in the [Link] of the Sweat in the latent
impression react with the Silver Nitrate to form silver chloride, which is light
sensitive and break into its components silver and chloride.
• Reddish brown coloured fingerprints are developed when treated with the silver
nitrate solution.
• Silver nitrate solution can be applied by brushing spraying or by dipping in the
solution.
• When the ridges is start appearing the exhibit is removed and photographed.
• The method is useful for developing latent prints on paper cardboard and Raw and
unpainted wood.
Super glue fuming method :
• Super blue fuming latent print devlopment on non- porous like metal ,
electrical tape , leather, plastic bags.
• Cyanoacrylate Ester chemical in superglue interact and visualizes latent
prints.
• Super glue is placed on cotton and created with sodium hydroxide.
• Fumes can also be created by eating the Glue.
• The fumes and the object a are contained in a close chamber for up to 6
hour.
• The fumes adhere to the print , visualizing it.
• Cyanoacrylate glue molecule adhere to body oils .
• Usually uses with powders .
Iodine fuming method :
• It is the oldest method of developing latent impression on porus surface
especially on documents..
• In this process iodine crystal are subjected to moderate heat they vaporize
producing fumes which are absorbed by fatty acid in the perspiration and
prints become visible yellow brown colour.
• For development suspected material is enclosed with iodine crystal in
chamber.
• The printed developed with iodine fumes are not permanent and colour
begin to fade as soon as the fuming is withdrawn and to therefore when
they appear in full intensity It should be photographed.
• Starch solution is can be used for permanent fixation of the developed
print.
1,8- Diazafluoren-9-one (DFO) Method :
• 1,8-Diazafluoren-9-one (DFO) is a reagent that’s used in forensic science to make
latent fingerprints visible on porous surfaces. DFO reacts with amino acids in
fingerprints to produce highly fluorescent derivatives. The fingerprints glow when lit
by blue-green light.
• DFO is used in criminalistics to make fingerprints visible on: Paper, Photos,
Cardboard, Unpainted wood. DFO can also be used to make slight blood stains
visible.
• Since amino acid are soluble in water neither DFO nor , ninhydrin can be used to
treat porous surface which have been wet.
• Articles are dipped into a solution containing DFO acidic acid and and inert carrier
solvent and then heated it in a dry oven at hundred degrees Celsius for 20 minute if
humidified condition are used for DFO treated articles No finger print are detected.
• DFO is not routinely used at scenes of crime because it is difficult to generate
sufficient heat .
Fluorescence method :
• Fingerprint Could visualised by exposure of laser light
• There are 2 primary ways of making fingerprints fluoresce through
the use or treatment with; Fluorescent Powders or Fluorescent
Liquid Dyes.
• Fluorescent Powders are used widely as the primary method of
fingerprint treatment at crime scenes when using a Forensic or
Alternate Light Source.
• Fluorescence occur when substance absorb light and re- emmits the
light in longer wave length then the resource.
• Earlier fluorescence to visualise fingerprint come with direct
illumination of fingerprint with Argon ion laser.
• It produce blue green light.
• These can be photographed by filter that absorb light and permit
the wave length to produce pattern
Osmic acid method:
• This method is based on the reaction of osmic acid vapors with oily
matter of the latent impression when osmic acid vapour come in
contact with sebaceous matter , it is reduced to metallic Osmium
which is blue coloured.
• The solution is prepared by dissolving 3 gram of osmic acid in 100cc
carbon tetrachloride, ether or ethyl alcohol.
• Osmic acid, also known as osmium tetroxide, is a fuming technique
used to develop latent fingerprints on paper.
• Osmic acid is rarely used because of its high cost and dangers. Other
chemicals that can be used to develop latent prints include:
• Chem. Print
• Hydrofluoric acid
• Tannic acid
• Mercuric iodide
1,2 indonedione method :
• Chemical to develop latent fingerprint on Porous surface. It give
good initial colour and strong fluorescence when a reached with
amino acid.
• 1,2-Indandione is an organic compound with the molecular formula
C₆H₄(CO)₂CH₂. It’s a yellow solid and is classified as a vicinal
diketone on an indane framework.
• 1,2-Indandione is used in the first stage of forensic identification of
latent fingerprints. It’s a reagent for fingerprints found on paper. It
combines the strong color of ninhydrin and the fluorescence of
DFO. It fluoresces strongly after excitation with green light.
• 1,2-Indandione reacts with amino acid residues to produce highly
fluorescent fingerprint ridges. It’s reported to develop 46% more
latents than DFO.
Amido Black method :
• Amido Black is a protein stain that can be used to enhance the visibility
of fingerprints and footwear impressions. It reacts with proteins in blood
to create a dark blue to black stain. Amido Black can be applied by:
• Spraying
• Dipping
• Using a wash bottle
• After treating with Amido Black, you can rinse to wash away background
coloring.
• Can be used on both porus and non porus surface .
• Amido Black is used in criminal investigations to detect blood in latent
fingerprints. It can also be used in biochemical research to stain for total
protein on transferred membrane blots.
• Amido Black 10B is an azo dye that can cause DNA damage.
Vaccum metal deposition method :
• Vacuum metal deposition (VMD) is a technique used to develop
latent fingerprints on non-porous surfaces. The process involves
coating evidence with a thin metal film under high vacuum. The
metals used include:
• Gold, Zinc, Silver, Tin, Aluminum, Some alloys, Cadmium, Inconel,
Chromium.
• VMD can be more effective than cyanoacrylate for developing
fingerprints on fabrics.
• It can also develop fingerprints on evidence that is over 20 years
old, or on exhibits that have been submerged in water or buried
underground.
• The chemical components of fingerprints include: Inorganic ions
(Na+, Cl-, Proteins, Amino acids, Lipids, Water.
• First devlop in Europe in 1976.
