This literature review discusses advanced vibrational spectroscopic techniques for the examination of evidence in a forensic investigation.
Such evidence includes fingerprints, hair, body fluids, and bones. Recent developments in the fields of infrared and Raman spectroscopy have enabled forensic evidence to be analyzed efficiently with minimal destruction to the sample. With the development of sophisticated techniques such as synchrotron radiation, Fourier transform infrared microscopy, and spatial offset Raman spectroscopy in conjunction with advanced statistical analyses, chemical properties of bulk and micro-sized particles can be identified. Vibrational spectroscopy enables characteristic structural information to spectroscopy have been increasingly important to be obtained for the molecule of interest, and advancements in infrared and Raman spectroscopy have been increasingly important to forensic science due to their ability to detect even trace amounts of evidence. (publisher abstract modified)