Nanotechnology At the Frontiers of Forensic Science: A Systematic Review of Plasmonic, Exosomal, And Hybrid Nanomaterial Platforms for Evidentiary Precision

Abstract

Forensic science, historically constrained by the fragility of biological and trace evidence, is undergoing a paradigmatic transformation through the integration of nanotechnology, wherein the manipulation of matter at the nanoscale introduces novel physicochemical behaviors such as localized surface plasmon resonance, quantum confinement, and extraordinary surface to volume ratios that radically amplify sensitivity, selectivity, and resilience of evidentiary interrogation. This systematic review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, synthesizes eight high impact experimental studies that collectively reconstitute the forensic landscape by demonstrating the ability of engineered nanomaterials to retrieve, stabilize, and analyze evidence that had previously remained inaccessible to conventional methodologies.

The review identifies several thematic clusters of application. First, plasmonic gold nanoshell chips have emerged as revolutionary substrates for metabolic fingerprinting of biofluids and exosomes, achieving discriminatory power between disease states and controls from nanoliter sample volumes, thereby offering forensic pathologists unprecedented capacity to identify subtle metabolic derangements underlying unexplained deaths. Second, nanoparticle assisted visualization techniques, such as mercaptocarboxylic acid functionalized gold nanoparticles with silver amplification, enable the recovery of latent fingerprints from porous substrates even after fourteen months, significantly extending the temporal boundaries of evidentiary retrieval. Third, exosome profiling platforms, exemplified by nano plasmonic sensors and glypican one positive vesicle detection, demonstrate that stable extracellular vesicles serve as molecular archives capable of authenticating occult malignancies, thereby redefining the medico legal boundaries of forensic oncology. Fourth, nanogold membranes and engineered nanostructured substrates for surface assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry provide unprecedented sensitivity in forensic toxicology, enabling the detection of trace heavy metals, drugs, and toxins in complex biological matrices. Finally, hybrid nanomaterials, such as graphene oxide and carbon nanotube films, facilitate high resolution tissue imaging and metabolomic profiling, integrating spatial and molecular forensic insights in ways previously unattainable.

Beyond technological novelty, these findings collectively underscore cross cutting themes of sample economy, nanoscale selectivity, resilience against degradation, and synergy with advanced analytical platforms. The implications for forensic medicine and jurisprudence are profound. Nanotechnology extends the evidentiary window, elevates degraded or scarce samples into admissible testimony, and transforms probabilistic determinations into molecularly grounded certainties. Yet, challenges remain in standardization of nanomaterial synthesis, reproducibility across laboratories, interpretive complexity of high dimensional data, infrastructural cost, and judicial admissibility under Daubert or Frye standards. Ethical concerns further arise from the incidental revelation of sensitive health information through exosomal or metabolic profiling, necessitating robust frameworks of governance and data stewardship.

In conclusion, this systematic review affirms that nanotechnology has transcended experimental curiosity to become an emergent foundation of forensic science, bridging medicine, materials engineering, and law. By rendering the invisible visible, stabilizing fragile traces, and amplifying faint molecular signals, nanoscale platforms redefine evidentiary sufficiency and medico legal certainty. The forensic scientist of the twenty first century must therefore be envisioned not only as a custodian of macroscopic scenes and tissues but also as an investigator at the nanoscale frontier, where the ultimate truths of justice now reside.

Keywords:

Forensic nanotechnology, plasmonic biosensors, latent fingerprint visualization, exosome profiling, forensic toxicology, metabolic fingerprinting, hybrid nanomaterials

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