Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Elemental Analysis Of Adhesive Tapes By Laser-Based Methods, Claudia Martinez Lopez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adhesive tapes are a common type of evidence involved in violent crimes and national security threats. This research evaluated the utility of LA-ICP-MS and LIBS for the characterization of the trace elemental signature in adhesive tapes for forensic comparisons. LA-ICP-MS and LIBS methods were developed, for the first time, for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of adhesive tapes.

The backings of 90 black electrical tapes, previously characterized by conventional techniques (physical examination, IR, Py-GC-MS, and SEM-EDS), were analyzed by LA-ICP-MS to evaluate the ability of the technique to discriminate samples originating from different sources and to associate pieces of tapes …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Fe8-Based Materials As Electron Acceptors For Solar Energy Applications, Alan J. Rodriguez-Santiago

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The urgent need to find alternative sources of energy has been recognized as a major challenge of the 21st century. Many ideas have been proposed, but harvesting the energy of the Sun has been identified by many as the most promising alternative to satisfy the world’s increasing energy demand. Among the current technologies to harness solar energy, photovoltaics and artificial photosynthesis (photocatalysis) stand out. Although very different in their strategies, both technologies entail a core principle, the generation of a charge-separated state. To this end, both methods employ electron acceptors that will receive the photo-electron; in most cases this role …

Ultrahigh Speed Direct Pcr: A Method For Obtaining Y-Str And Str Based Genotypes In Under 20 Minutes, Georgiana C. Gibson-Daw

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There are many situations in forensic DNA typing where the time it takes to identify an individual is critical. Examples include suspects under arrest and individuals detained at ports of entry. It is also important to identify victims quickly when dealing with mass disasters such as terrorist attacks, airplane crashes and natural disasters in order to notify families. The goal of this project was to develop an ultrafast method for screening saliva samples through the use of rapid direct PCR coupled to microfluidic separation and detection.

Fast amplification was achieved through the use of high speed thermocyclers and the experimental …