Principles of Fluorogenic Reagent Design for Forensics. Recent Progress Towards New Reagents to Develop Fingerprints in Blood and on Variable Surfaces

The use of fluorogenic reagents for detecting and enhancing fingerprints in blood has been studied for many years. There are still several challenges. These include utility on dark and multi-colored substrates, loss of detail, print stability, and compatibility with acidic fixative agents. Herein, we describe progress in addressing each of these issues. The creation and evaluation of a promising class of leuco xanthenes dyes is highlighted. (Publisher abstract provided.)