Yellow emissive carbon dots in ludox silica matrix with anticancer activity for enhanced imaging of developed sweat latent fingermarks

The recognition of fingermarks plays a vital role during a criminal investigation. In the current scenario, fluorescent nano-powders emerged as a potential candidate for latent fingermark detection. We pioneer the use of microwave technology for the synthesis of carbon dots (CDs) with the cationic surfactant (cetylpyridinium chloride). The surfactant-derived CDs exhibit yellow fluorescence and emission at 545 nm with high quantum yield of (QY～34%). The prepared CDs also demonstrated amphiphilic properties. These luminous CDs were combined with ludox HS-30 to develop fluorescent hybrid nano-powders for the detection of sweat latent fingermarks on a non-porous surface. The ludox@CDs accumulate particle size 11.36 ± 1.235 nm and surface area 111 cm³/g^?1. The fluorescent hybrid nano-powders emerged to be successful in creating high contrast and accurate latent fingermark images. Furthermore, cytotoxicity studies on breast cell lines (fR-2 and MCF-7) were conducted by using ludox@CDs. The results revealed that ludox@CDs were less toxic and biocompatible in comparison to the commercialized dusting reagents. Fortunately, ludox@CDs demonstrated anticancer efficacy against MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines. Thus, our findings herald a new age for fluorescent hybrid nano-powders in criminal investigation and biomedical applications.