Introducing state-of-the-art forensics into instrumental analysis laboratory: detection of document forgery with laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

Forensics has long been viewed by chemical educators as a field with great potential as far as providing inspiration for modifying chemistry laboratory curriculum and enhancing students’ learning experience at different levels. While most experiments are based on adaptation of laboratory procedures routinely used in criminalistics, very exciting (but frequently overlooked) opportunities are presented by state-of-the-art analytical technologies that are available on university and college campuses, but have not yet become commonly accepted tools in the armamentarium of forensic analysis. We illustrate this using as an example laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI MS), a technique which has been actively evaluated in recent years in forensic community as a tool to detect forgery in various printed and hand-written documents. Two possible uses of this technique in the undergraduate laboratory are described, one focusing on fraudulent alteration of a personal check, and another focusing on detecting forgery in a printed document. Both experiments are open-ended, in that the initial findings invite additional questions and encourage further work. As such, these themes can be used not only as modules in analytical or instrumental laboratory, but also as templates for more in-depth work, such as independent study by chemistry majors and advanced high school students.