• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.75-81
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• 2017

5-methylthioninhydrin (5-MTN) is an amino acid sensitive reagent used for the development of latent fingermarks deposited on porous surfaces such as paper and wood. The present study demonstrates that the 5-MTN can be used as a latent footwear impression enhancement reagent, by reacting with trace multivalent metal ions, which are the main components of the latent footwear impression. 5-MTN and L-alanine complex (MTN-ALA) used for the latent footwear impression development was prepared, by mixing $4.5{\times}10^{-3}M$ 5-MTN (in methanol) and $4.5{\times}10^{-3}M$ L-alanine (in methanol) in 1:1 ratio, and keeping undisturbed at room temperature for 24 h. The latent footwear impressions were deposited on white and black non-porous surfaces (glass plate, polyethylene panel, polypropylene panel, acryl panel, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) panel, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) panel, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) panel, tile), and a semi-porous surfaces (painted wood). The latent footwear impressions on these surfaces were treated with MTN-ALA complex by spraying. The fluorescence of footwear impressions (occurred due to the reaction between MTN-ALA and metal complexes) was observed under a 505 nm forensic light source and an orange barrier filter. The enhancement of latent footwear impression was achieved from black surfaces without any blurring. However, the fluorescence (enhancement) of footwear impression was not observed on the white PVC, PMMA, and ABS surfaces, because the incident light interfered and reflected on the surface. The sensitivity of MTN-ALA was superior to 2,2'-dipyridil, which is a representative non-fluorescing footwear impression enhancement reagent, and similar to 8-hydroxyquinoline, which is a representative fluorescing footwear impression enhancement reagent.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.303-311
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• 2017

A new method for obtaining the photoluminescence of footwear impression by using 1,2-indandione (1,2-IND) solution, which is a latent fingerprint-developing reagent, was studied. A binary complex of DL-alanine and 1,2-IND was prepared by spraying a DL-alanine solution and the 1,2-IND solution (an amino acid sensitive reagent) onto dry or wet origin footwear impression deposited on the surface of printed A4 paper. This binary complex reacts with the trace metal component in the footwear impression to form a ternary complex that exhibits photoluminescence. However, when 5-methylthioninhydrin (5-MTN) solution was used instead of 1,2-IND, no consistent photoluminescence was observed even under identical treatment conditions. In addition, when footwear impressions treated with DL-alanine and 1,2-IND solutions were stored under various temperature conditions (30, 40 and $50^{\circ}C$) and various humidity conditions (30 %, 40 %, 50 % and 60 % RH), the contrast between the footwear impression and the background decreased. Optimal footwear impression photoluminescence was obtained when the footwear impressions treated with DL-alanine and 1,2-IND solutions were stored at $30^{\circ}C$ and 30 % RH for 1 h. The sensitivity of the developed method was ccompared with the sensitivities of three known methods - black gelatin lifting, 2,2'-dipyridyl treatment, and 8-hydroxyquinoline treatment. The results showed that the sensitivity of the developed method was worse than that of the black gelatin lifting method but better than that of 2,2'-dipyridyl or 8-hydroxyquinoline treatment method.