title: Chemical development of latent fingerprints: 1,2-indanedione has come of age.
abstract: The performance of 1,2-indanedione as a latent fingerprint reagent on some types of paper was found to exceed that of DFO, the leading fluorogenic fingerprint reagent. It even exceeds the performance of the sequence, DFO, followed by ninhydrin. No new prints could be observed when ninhydrin was applied after indanedione. On a large number of actual exhibits (used checks) indanedione developed 46% more identifiable prints than the sequence DFO-ninhydrin. A standard procedure for fingerprint development by indanedione is proposed. Best results are obtained with a 0.2% indanedione solution in HFE7100 solvent containing 7% ethyl acetate, but no acetic acid. It can be recommended to start using 1,2-indanedione, which is already commercially available, in actual fingerprint casework.
authors.affiliation: Division of Identification and Forensic Science, Israel Police, National HQ, Jerusalem.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wiesner
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Springer
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sasson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Almog
mesh_terms: D003878:Dermatoglyphics; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012997:Solvents
chemical_list: C413384:1,2-indanedione; D007189:Indans; D012997:Solvents