New insights into the rapid deposition and visualization of latent fingerprints: Cyan light emitting GdAlO3:Ce3+ nano fluorescent probe

Abstract

The marvelous blend of nanoscience and nanotechnology evoke much interest due to their prospective applications in many fields. They can bridge gap between the nanoscale and microscale world and afford favourable functions. Among various fields, forensic science especially latent fingerprints are the substantial evidences due to their characteristic details and special chemical compositions; hence they serve as identity tool for forensic enquiries as well as medical diagnosis. Therefore, considerable attention was paid by the researchers to visualize latent fingerprints. During visualization, background hindrance from the underlying surface diminishes the visualization sensitivity. Hence, many efforts were attempted to overcome from the background hindrance, but still need to improve. This exciting objective stimulating to fabricate novel GdAlO3:Ce3+ (1–9 mol %) nanophosphors by a facile solution combustion method. The diffraction patterns confirm the orthorhombic phase of the prepared nanophosphors. The photoluminescence emission spectra exhibit a broad peak centered at ˜ 466 nm, which attributed to 5D3/2→7FJ transitions (J = 7/2 and 5/2) of Ce3+ ions. The photometric properties confirm that the prepared samples emit cyan blue color with high color purity. The optimized sample can be used to visualize latent fingerprints with high resolution, sensitivity and less background hindrance. Furthermore, type 1–3 details of latent fingerprints were clearly revealed on various hydrophilic and hydrophobic substrates. These results indicate that the optimized GdAlO3:Ce3+ (5 mol %) nanophosphors were considered as a potential material for latent fingerprints visualization for forensic investigations and anti-counterfeiting applications.