ABSTRACT
context: Forensic examination is conducted to detect, identify, and investigate the crime to figure out the pieces of evidence and connect it to the perpetrator of the crime. The nanoparticles play a crucial role in the forensic analysis of the evidence obtained at the crime scene. These nanoparticles can be characterized by various scanning and X-Ray techniques. The XRF technique provides an effective analysis of the elemental composition of the materials. aims: This study aims to perform a differential analysis of nanomaterials of coated and non-coated samples through X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy. materials & method: Firstly, the titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles were synthesized by using a hydrothermal method. This nanomaterial was then characterized with distinct techniques such as Dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), and Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS). Furthermore, the TiO2 nanoparticles were coated on the surface of rexine, paint, and glass to observe the composition of elements in nano-coated and non-coated samples. Moreover, the surfaces were characterized by using SEM, and the elemental composition was determined through XRF. results: The results exhibit a distinctive difference in the concentration of titanium obtained in glass samples. However, the analysis on rexine and paint samples shows that the difference in the quantity of titanium is less when the nanocoated and non-coated samples were analyzed. conclusions: It was concluded that titanium is already present during the manufacturing of rexine and paint therefore, the nanoparticle coating of TiO2 doesn’t create a large difference. Besides, there was a significant difference in nanomaterials coated and non-coated glass samples. key messages: The forensic investigation can be more qualitative with nanomaterial coating on the surface of glass, fabrics, and paint samples. These materials can be easily characterized with surface and X-ray techniques to provide efficient data.