Application of magnetic particles in forensic science

With the increasing demand of accurate and sensitive diagnosis for criminal investigation, magnetic particles (MPs) have attracted more and more attentions in forensic science due to their unique properties. This critical review briefly summarized the methodology to enhance the specificity of MPs and highlighted their recent applications in forensic science. After an introduction of MPs, we first summarized the recent developments of magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) of small molecular poisons. Moreover, MSPE of biomolecules including high quality DNA, proteins and cells for individual identification or public security was highlighted. In addition, research opportunities in providing high-quality images of latent fingerprints (LFPs) and critical chemical information deposited in the LFPs by MPs were also reviewed. The challenges of the MPs were also addressed to define the research direction of creating multifunctional MPs in forensic science. (c) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.