ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

Surface composition in the physical developer process for latent fingerprint visualization

Abstract: Physical developer (PD) is a latent fingerprint development technique that is highly effective on paper and related surfaces, notably banknotes. The process exploits a redox reaction in which Ag(I) ions in solution are reduced by Fe(II), resulting in deposition of metallic silver on fingerprint residue on the surface. The standard formulation includes both a cationic and non-ionic surfactant, whose presence is critical to formulation stability and efficacy, but whose role is poorly understood. However, the surfactant adsorption can be expected to play a significant role. Here, we seek to extend our study from a successful initial experiment studying the cationic surfactant alone to understand the competitive nature of adsorption between the two surfactants on a silver surface using specular neutron reflectivity. The outcomes will guide optimization of the PD and derivative process.

Principal Investigator: Professor Arthur Hillman
Local Contact: Dr Mario Campana
Local Contact: Dr Rebecca Welbourn
Experimenter: Dr Jodie Coulston
Experimenter: Dr Andrew Ballantyne
Local Contact: Dr Maxmilian Skoda
Experimenter: Professor Karl Ryder
Experimenter: Dr Rob Barker
Experimenter: Dr Rachel Sapstead

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB1620431

ISIS Experiment Number: RB1620431

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Professor Arthur Hillman et al; (2016): Surface composition in the physical developer process for latent fingerprint visualization, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB1620431

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.