Synergistic GO/PANI nanocomposites for superior latent fingerprint imaging

In this study, nanocomposites of graphene oxide-polyaniline (GO/PANI) were investigated for latent fingerprint detection (LFPD). Characterization of synthesised nanocomposites was performed through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–visible spectroscopy, diffuse reflective spectra (DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for its functional groups and morphological analysis. These synthesised nanocomposites were successfully applied to LFPD on various surfaces. These GO/PANI nanocomposites were successfully applied to the LFPD across various surfaces. This demonstrates improved contrast and ridge visibility, making them suitable for developing distinguishable ridge patterns on porous, semi-porous and particularly on non-porous surfaces. This work highlights the essential characteristics required to obtain high-resolution LFP images for potential forensic applications in varied environmental conditions, including changes in substrate temperature, moisture content, and texture.