Zhang Meiqin, Girault Hubert H
Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, UKCV4 7AL.
Analyst. 2009 Jan;134(1):25-30. doi: 10.1039/b815336a. Epub 2008 Nov 14.
Fingerprint analysis is one of the most important methods used for personal identification of evidence found at a crime scene for forensic purposes. Using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) imaging, researchers can visualize the ultrastructure of human fingerprints on wet porous and non-porous surfaces by combining with silver-staining or multi-metal-deposition (MMD) technology. SECM allows investigators to image chemical activities of fingerprint surfaces with an impressively high resolution, such as the third level valuable information for confirming an identification. This methodology takes a significant advantage of the high sensitivity of SECM towards the small variation of electrochemical reaction rates at the substrate surface. In this review, we highlight the recent breakthroughs in ultrasensitive imaging and detection of latent fingerprints with a special focus on a novel application of SECM. We will also discuss our perspectives on future research directions.
指纹分析是用于法医学目的、对犯罪现场发现的证据进行个人识别的最重要方法之一。通过扫描电化学显微镜（SECM）成像，研究人员可以结合银染或多金属沉积（MMD）技术，在潮湿的多孔和无孔表面上可视化人类指纹的超微结构。SECM使研究人员能够以令人印象深刻的高分辨率对指纹表面的化学活性进行成像，例如用于确认身份的第三级有价值信息。这种方法充分利用了SECM对基底表面电化学反应速率微小变化的高灵敏度这一显著优势。在这篇综述中，我们重点介绍了超灵敏成像和潜在指纹检测方面的最新突破，特别关注SECM的新应用。我们还将讨论对未来研究方向的看法。
