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Updated: Jun 20, 2025
Attaching Biological Probes to Silica Optical Biosensors Using Silane Coupling Agents
Published on: May 1, 2012
Dansyl fluorophore functionalized hierarchically structured mesoporous silica nanoparticles as novel latent
Lais F A M Oliveira1, Lais V A T da Silva1, Artur F Sonsin1
1Federal University of Alagoas Campus A. C. Simões 57072-970 Maceió AL Brazil aribeiro@qui.ufal.br.
Abstract:
A nanostructured hybrid material based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MCM-41) functionalized with chitosan and a fluorescent dye (dansylglycine), designated MCM-41@Ch@DnsGly, was synthesized and characterized with a view to its application for the visualization of latent fingerprints. These nanoparticles were applied as latent fingerprint developers for marks on surfaces of diverse chemical composition, topography, optical characteristics, and spatially variant nature, typical of forensically challenging evidence. For quality assessment of the enhanced fingermarks, the developed images were analyzed holistically using the UK Home Office scale, forensic protocols and, in terms of their constituent features (minutiae), using forensic software. Across a substantive collection of marks deposited on chemically diverse surfaces and subject to complex environmental and temporal histories, 94% of the enhanced images presented sufficient minutiae for comparison with model dactyloscopy images. This novel nanomaterial presents enhanced performance with significant promise for superior exploitation by forensic practitioners in the acquisition and analysis of crime scene evidence.
