Conclusions
In summary, a practical, generalized protocol was developed for
latent fingerprint detection on paper substrates using 1,2-
indanedione-based bi-functional reagents. A series of novel bifunctional
reagents were designed and successfully synthesized
using a concise, five-step protocol in the process. The present optimized
protocol displayed efficiency and gave consistent results.
When compared to existing chemical detection methods, the development
process was very fast, where clearly visible prints with
good image contrast was obtained in less than 20 min. The developed
latent fingerprints that were obtained were of sufficient
quality to be recorded using a standard iPhone camera (iPhone 5S),
eliminating the use of specialized equipment. Furthermore, results
obtained from this study gave insight to the underlying mechanism
of the interaction between the bi-functional reagent and fingerprint
residue. Overall, the study provided a generalized development
condition tailored to the type of paper substrate that
requires processing for latent fingerprints, allowing potential application
in cases where sensitive detection reagents are needed.