Nature报道新型聚合物材料助力指纹识别新技术：
韩国汉阳大学的研究团队制备出一种共轭聚合物，该聚合物可以通过显色识别指纹上的小汗滴从而识别出人的指纹地图，为法医提供一种新的简单检测识别指纹的方法，他们将研究成果发表在最新一期的Nature Communications上。
我们都知道当人的手指直接指接触东西时，在其表面会留下指纹，因为手指上油脂复制了指纹留在了手指触碰过的地方。于是乎，警察常常通过探测指纹识别犯罪分子，因为指纹具有唯一性，世界上没有两个人的指纹是相同的。但是，并不是所有犯人都会在现场留下油脂指纹，上述新型的聚合物或许可以解决此问题，为法医提供一种新的检测方法。韩国团队制备的这种共轭聚合物遇到手指中小汗滴时颜色由蓝色变成红色，小汗滴分散在手指指纹中，与指纹的形状是一致的，所以聚合物与其接触后颜色发生变化显示出指纹的纹路。
材料与机理详情请查看原文。
Hydrochromic conjugated polymers for human sweat pore mapping
Joosub Lee, Minkyeong Pyo
Nature Communications 5, Article number: 3736 doi:10.1038/ncomms4736
Received 18 November 2013 Accepted 27 March 2014 Published 29 April 2014
Abstract
Hydrochromic materials have been actively investigated in the context of humidity sensing and measuring water contents in organic solvents. Here we report a sensor system that undergoes a brilliant blue-to-red colour transition as well as ‘Turn-On’ fluorescence upon exposure to water. Introduction of a hygroscopic element into a supramolecularly assembled polydiacetylene results in a hydrochromic conjugated polymer that is rapidly responsive (<20 μs), spin-coatable and inkjet-compatible. Importantly, the hydrochromic sensor is found to be suitable for mapping human sweat pores. The exceedingly small quantities (sub-nanolitre) of water secreted from sweat pores are sufficient to promote an instantaneous colorimetric transition of the polymer. As a result, the sensor can be used to construct a precise map of active sweat pores on fingertips. The sensor technology, developed in this study, has the potential of serving as new method for fingerprint analysis and for the clinical diagnosis of malfunctioning sweat pores.