Abstract
The aim of this chapter is to comprehensively review the application of the principles of reduction-oxidation reactions, electrochemistry and electrochemical-based techniques to the visualization of latent fingermarks and to study their physical and chemical modifications over time.
After a brief introduction, the first part discusses redox reactions, which are at the basis of both well-established latent fingermarks detection techniques as well as innovative and very promising procedures that need yet to be fully explored for their application in casework. These redox reactions are typically exploited to in situ synthesise the enhancement reactant. Generally, this reactant selectively adheres to the print residue, leading to the positive development of the mark. Examples of these procedures include the physical developer (PD) and the processes based on colloidal gold, i.e. multimetal deposition (MMD) and its subsequently modified versions like MMD II and single-metal deposition (SMD and SMD II). The selective deposition of the reactant to the fingermark ridges can be then exploited by scanning electrochemistry microscopy (SECM) for imaging purposes. Another option for the enhancement reactant is to be directed towards the regions of the substrate free from the fingermark, thus enhancing the furrows rather than the ridges and leading to the so-called inverse development. Examples of this approach include electrodeposition and electrophoretic deposition. The ability of the fingermark residue to act as a mask towards an underlying metal substrate is also at the basis of differential corrosion approaches.
The sensitivity of electrochemical techniques in monitoring the physical changes that a fingermark undergoes over time will be highlighted in the second part of the chapter. Indeed, the possibility to concurrently monitor physical modifications and the variation in the chemical composition represents a highly desirable added value in order to reach trustworthy information of time since deposition.
Most techniques that record physical modifications of fingermarks over time are based on microscopy observations, thus significantly limiting the sensitivity of detectable changes and easily exposing the results to certain bias from the observer. However, electrochemical-based techniques possess the potential to overcome the limits inherent to microscopy observations and allows a deeper understanding of the complex mechanisms involved in the aging of fingermarks. The application of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the use of an electric potential sensor (EPS) for imaging surface charges and monitoring their decay will be illustrated in this section.
Finally, concluding remarks will highlight the yet unexplored potentialities of electrochemistry to the discipline of latent fingermarks research, including both visualization and age determination possibilities.
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Abbreviations
- PD:
-
Physical developer
- MMD:
-
Multimetal deposition
- SMD:
-
Single-metal deposition
- SECM:
-
Scanning electrochemistry microscopy
- EIS:
-
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
- EPS:
-
Electric potential sensor
- GSRs:
-
Gunshot residues
- ELD:
-
Electrolytic deposition
- EPD:
-
Electrophoretic deposition
- CNLS:
-
Complex non-linear least squares
- CPE:
-
Constant phase element
- GC:
-
Glassy carbon
- PTFE:
-
Polytetrafluoroethylene
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Rosa, R., Mugoni, C., Bononi, M., Giovanardi, R. (2021). Latent Fingermarks and Electrochemistry: Possibilities for Development and Aging Studies. In: De Alcaraz-Fossoul, J. (eds) Technologies for Fingermark Age Estimations: A Step Forward. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69337-4_9
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