Chemical Reagents for the Development of Latent Fingerprints. I: Scope and Limitations of the Reagent 4-Dimethylamino-Cinnamaldehyde

Abstract

Abstract Among the chemical reagents that are currently used for the development of latent fingerprints on paper, ninhydrin is undoubtedly the most common [1]. Yet the ninhydrin method suffers from several disadvantages because the reaction is slow and requires heat for complete development. Sometimes the method is misleading because of background reactions [1,2], and not all individuals excrete sufficient perspiration to leave latent prints identifiable with ninhydrin [3].