Cyanoacrylate, also called super glue, fuming is a chemical method for the detection of latent fingermarks on non-porous surfaces such as glass, plastic etc. The method relies on the deposition of polymerized cyanoacrylate ester on residues of latent fingermarks. The method develops clear, stable, white colored fingerprints. However, several post-treatement procedures can be used to improve the contrast of developed prints. In addition to it, some pre-treatment procedures can also be used to develop aged latent fingermarks. It is an efficient, non-destrcutive and excellent procedure for developing latent fingermarks.

Cyanoacrylates (CAs) are well-known fast-setting adhesives, which are sold as liquids in the presence of stabilizers. Rapid anionic polymerization on exposure to surface moisture is responsible for instant adhesion. The more difficult, but synthetically more useful radical polymerization is only possible under acidic conditions. Recommendations on the handling of CAs and the resulting polymers are provided herein. In this review article, after a general description of monomer and polymer properties, radical homo- and copolymerization studies are described, along with an overview of nanoparticle preparations. A summary of our recently reported radical polymerization of CAs, using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, is provided.

SYNOPSIS The paper summarizes and discusses current studies of the polymerization of α‐cyanoacrylate esters (ethyl and n ‐butyl), illustrating their extreme reactivity in anionic propagation, and their susceptibility to initiation by stable anions incapable of initiating most other monomers, and by (even very weak) covalent bases. Amine‐initiated polymerizations give very high molecular weights (> 10 6 ), attributed to a repetitive chain‐doubling process possible with zwitterions. Possible complications in the zwitterionic polymerization by alkylamines are considered. Kinetic results are presented for the polymerizations of n ‐butyl cyanoacrylate in THF by pyridine and by triethylphosphine. With Et 3 P the kinetics indicate a virtually ideal “living” polymerization and allow deduction of values for the propagation rate constant for free anions, e.g., k − p ~ 3.5 × 10 5 liter mole −1 sec −1 at 0°C, with activation energy E p ~ 1.7 kcal/mole.