Spectral Variations for Reaction Products Formed Between Different Amino Acids and Latent Fingermark Detection Reagents on a Range of Cellulose-Based Substrates

• NCJ Number: 227073
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Identification Volume: 59 Issue: 3 Dated: May/June 2009 Pages: 308-324
• Author(s): Xanthe Spindler; Milutin Stoilovic; Chris Lennard; Aimee Lennard
• Date Published: June 2009
• Length: 17 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This research investigated the reaction between the major amino acids in the eccrine secretion and finger mark detection reagents: ninhydrin, 1, 2-indanedione; 1, 2-indanedione-zinc; and 1, 8 diazafluoren-9-one (DFO).

Abstract

Results indicated that ninhydrin produced relatively uniform visible absorption spectra when reacted with the nine chosen amino acids. Only one amino acid, lysine produced a significant variation and this might have been due to additional reactions taking place with the amino group on the side-chain of the molecule. DFO also produced relatively uniform results with respect to both visible absorption spectra and luminescence spectra, regardless of the amino acid. A completely different situation was observed with indanedione; with formulation and development condition typically employed in casework, the spectra recorded from the developed amino acid spots suggest an incomplete reaction or the formation of by-products due to non-ideal reaction conditions. Indanedione-zinc produced remarkably consistent visible absorption and luminescence spectra, regardless of the amino acid tested. References, tables, and figures