Visualization of third-level information in latent fingerprints by a new fluorogenic L-tyrosine analogue

Incorporation of fluorescent α-amino acids in peptide/protein sequences, at desired positions, is eminently useful for non-invasive detection of cellular events, without impacting their native properties. As an extension to such an approach, we describe the design of two stable, fluorescent l-tyrosine analogs, FHBY and BHBY, exhibiting photophysical properties associated with the AIE-coupled ESIPT mechanism, for fluorescent reporting of latent fingerprints. Notably, FHBY selectively adheres to the papillary ridges of latent fingerprints and reveals up to the third-level of information at one of the lowest reported concentrations of 25 μM.