In order to address the need for consistency and generality in chemical methods developed for detection
of latent fingerprints on paper substrates, a practical protocol was developed using 1,2-indanedionebased
bi-functional reagents. A series of novel bi-functional reagents were designed and synthesized
using a concise, five-step sequence. An optimized development condition that is tailored to the type of
paper substrate that requires processing was discovered, allowing potential application in practical
criminal work where evidence processing is an irreversible process. The study also provided an insight to
the underlying mechanism of interaction between the bi-functional reagent and fingerprint residue