Recent Contributions of Organic Synthesis to Forensic Science

Forensic science is a multidisciplinary field that plays a vital role in society by supporting criminal investigations and providing scientific evidence for judicial proceedings. Within this context, organic chemistry contributes fundamentally by enabling the structural elucidation of seized drugs and their intermediates, the synthesis of analytical reference standards for doping control, allied with a deeper understanding of drug metabolization, and the development of probes for detecting fingerprints and biological fluids. This review examines recent advances at the interface between organic synthesis and forensic science. The discussion is organized into three main application areas: drug identification, toxicology, and fingerprint analysis, highlighting how synthetic methodologies have been employed to address key challenges in each topic. Furthermore, this work aims to shed light on the broad range of opportunities for the organic synthesis community to contribute to the advancement of forensic science.