title: Fingermark detection on non-porous and semi-porous surfaces using YVO4:Er,Yb luminescent upconverting particles.
abstract: This article describes the use of an anti-Stokes luminescent material (upconverter), yttrium vanadate doped with ytterbium and erbium (YVO(4):Er,Yb), for the development of latent fingermarks on a range of non-porous surfaces. Anti-Stokes luminescent materials emit light at shorter wavelengths than the excitation wavelength. This property is unusual in both natural and artificial materials commonly found as exhibits in forensic science casework. As a result, fingermark detection techniques based on anti-Stokes luminescence are potentially extremely sensitive and selective. Latent fingermarks on non-luminescent and inherently luminescent substrates, including Australian polymer banknotes (a well-known 'difficult' surface), were developed with YVO(4):Er,Yb by dry powder and wet powder techniques. The effectiveness of YVO(4):Er,Yb for fingermark detection was compared with that of cyanoacrylate fuming and of sodium yttrium tetrafluoride doped with ytterbium and erbium (NaYF(4):Er,Yb). The results illustrate some benefit of luminescent up-converting phosphors over traditional luminescence techniques for the detection of latent fingermarks.
authors: Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia.
authors: Rongliang
authors: R
authors: Ma
authors: Ronald
authors: R
authors: Shimmon
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: McDonagh
authors: Philip
authors: P
authors: Maynard
authors: Chris
authors: C
authors: Lennard
authors: Claude
authors: C
authors: Roux
mesh_terms: D003487:Cyanoacrylates; D003878:Dermatoglyphics; D004871:Erbium; D006801:Humans; D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000379:methods*; D016062:Porosity; D011208:Powders; D013499:Surface Properties; D014835:Volatilization; D015018:Ytterbium; D015019:Yttrium
chemical_list: D003487:Cyanoacrylates; D011208:Powders; D015019:Yttrium; D004871:Erbium; D015018:Ytterbium