NANOFIBER SCENT CARRIER

Thenanofiber scent carriers prepared by electrospinning from poly-vinyl-butyral (PVB), poly-ε-polycaprolactone (PCL), poly-vinyl- alcohol (PVA) and nylon 6/6 were tested as materials for collecting and preserving cigarette tobacco olfactory trace. Nanofibre material can include polar groups on its surface that influence wettability and also attracting of specific molecules creating olfactory trace. Nanofibre material and Aratex were also morphologicaly compared by scanning electron microscope (SEM) where nanofibre carrier had from twenty-two times to thirty-six times smaller fibre diameter than Aratex fibres. Olfactory testing of nanofibre scent carriers were compared to Aratex as traditionally used material for collecting of olfactory traces in criminology. Olfactory tests were carried out by dogs with special training and by mass spectrometer. Olfactory tests carried out by dogs clearly proved that nanofibre scent carriers were able to collect and preserve olfactory trace of lower concentration despite of their lower weight compared to samples of Aratex material. Olfactory tests carried out by mass spectrometer affirmed better olfactory properties of nanofibre scent carriers compared to Aratex, when nanofibre scent carriers were able to preserve 9 of 14 specific molecules characteristic for cigarette tobacco compared to Aratex that was able to preserve only 5 of 14 specific molecules characteristic for cigarette tobacco. The experiments with olfactory trace detection with materials with a comparable mass are in progress