Surface modification for the collection and identification of fingerprints and colorimetric detection of urea nitrate

Glass surfaces were modified with a combination of dyes and reagents to allow for the potential simultaneous recording of a detailed fingerprint and the detection of the explosive urea nitrate (UN), as a proof of principle of surface modification for simultaneous linking of identity to manipulation of explosives. By coating microscope slides with 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA), p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (p-DMAB) and p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde (p-DMAC), a colorimetric change was observed in the presence of UN, while revealing a fingerprint with enough resolution to isolate at least 10 minutiae. This is the first step in creating point-of-care devices capable of detecting low concentrations of explosives and drug metabolites and connecting them to a fingerprint.