Natural formulations have attracted great interest of many researchers regarding their use as latent fingermark developers powders due their important characteristics as the presence of natural pigments in these materials that offer a good contrast on the applied surface and also luminescent properties, which facilitates the visualization of minutiae in problematic substrates such as multicolored surfaces. In addition, natural powders present low toxicity, are widely available and economically viable. In this sense, the present work addresses the application of several natural products to enhance fingermarks visualization. The natural products were obtained from various sources such as seaweed, spices as well as other sources such as terrestrial and herbaceous plants. The evaluated powders are composed by compounds as chlorophyll, phycocyanins, curcumins, lawsone, fatty acids, coumarins, flavonoids and terpenes. These powders showed good adhesion to latent fingermarks, with similar or superior efficiency to the available powders on different surfaces with clear visualization of the minutiae. The development of new powders applicable to papiloscopy are extremely important since the conventional available powders, besides being expensive, are imported and within the national context there is a great lack of these revealing materials within forensic investigations by the Federal Police and in laboratories of research.

The use of anabolic androgenic steroids is largely restricted worldwide since they are associated with innumerous side effects and health damage. However, apprehensions of formulations of anabolic agents have been extensively increasing throughout the world, making their analysis a common task in the forensic field. In this sense, a set of three experiments was developed and applied to undergraduate students of Forensic Chemistry dealing with visual inspection of apprehended formulations of anabolic androgenic steroids as well as chemical identification by Infrared Spectroscopy and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Moreover, the classroom evaluated the extraction of steroidal active ingredients by ultrasonic and microwave-assisted extraction. The experimental procedures allied with the theory behind these topics provided an important background to the students on distinct extraction methods and analytical techniques used in the analysis of anabolic agents. Finally, the classroom was led to critically evaluate and interpret the results as well as to question the adequacy of experimental methods used in forensic analysis to stimulate their critical thinking.

Fingerprints are unique to each individual, contributing to human identification in forensic cases. The powder technique being widely used is considered one of the most important in latent fingermarks analysis. In this sense, the present work aimed to synthesize 1-thiocarbamoyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazoles and apply them as powder agents to develop latent fingermarks. The compounds were prepared from an effective and green synthesis via the condensation of chalcones with thiosemicarbazide in ethanol under microwave irradiation. Pyrazoles were tested and compared with a standard white powder (Sirchie®) on glass surfaces using sebaceous and natural fingermarks so that molecule 2c has been shown to be more promising providing image clarity. The derivatives of pyrazoles were promising as an alternative latent fingermark, presenting high quality images for fingermarks, proving to be a great tool for forensic sciences.