| NCJ Number: |
186428  |
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| Title: |
Separation of Visibly-Excited Fluorescent Components in Fingerprint Residue by Thin-Layer Chromatography |
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| Journal: |
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume:45 Issue:6 Dated:November 2000 Pages:1286-1293 |
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| Author(s): |
Nia E. Jones M.Sc.; Louise M. Davies M.Sc.; John S. Brennan DPhil; Simon K. Bramble Ph.D. |
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| Date Published: |
November 2000 |
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| Annotation: |
This research used thin-layer chromatography (TLC) on sebum-rich
fingermarks laid directly onto TLC plates; an argon ion laser was
used to visualize the separated components.
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| Abstract: |
The research involved two separate experimental procedures. The
first experiment developed a robust system for the separation of
the fluorescent components in fingermark residue by TLC. The
second experiment investigated the nature of the separated
compounds through visualization treatments. Sample preparation
did not use any washing or swabbing that could extract additional
components from the skin surface. This provided a more realistic
starting point for the analysis of fingermarks. The separated
components fluoresce orange, green, and yellow/green (in order of
decreasing Rf). This pattern of separation was reproducible for a
range of male donors and for one donor over a period time.
Elution of material may, however, be incomplete, since some
fluorescence remains at the origin, and Band 1 sometimes appears
to be two bands that have not been fully resolved. It is still
not known whether the visibly excited fluorescence was due to some
components secreted onto the skin surface or was due to materials
of external origin, but in the future it should be possible to
identify the separated compounds through an analytical method
such as LC-MS with fluorescence detection. Alternatively, if the
components are volatile, then it may be possible to use direct
probe GC-MS and analyze the compounds directly off the TLC
plates. The robustness of the TLC system as demonstrated by this
study suggests numerous opportunities for studying and analyzing
the fluorescence of fingermarks. 2 tables, 7 figures, and 27
references
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| Main Term(s): |
Police policies and procedures |
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| Index Term(s): |
Chromatography; Fingerprint image quality; Fingerprints; Forensic sciences; Investigative techniques; Latent fingerprints |
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| Page Count: |
8 |
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| Format: |
Article |
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| Type: |
Report (Study/Research) |
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| Language: |
English |
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| Country: |
United States of America |
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To cite this abstract, use the following link:
http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/abstract.aspx?ID=186428 |
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