Effects of imprinted 3D Surface Patterning on localized changes in the Tribology of Human Stratum Corneum

Natural surfaces may exhibit remarkable surface properties due to their structure. In the case of skin, its surface topography (microrelief) influences many of its perceived sensorial properties (shine, color, touch). Imprinted patterns can modify the original microrelief, inducing a completely new set of perceived properties. To explore the effects of superimposed biomimetic surface textures on the friction of skin, human stratum corneum was prepared with and without an imprinted regular, micrometer-sized, 3D grid pattern. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and optical profilometry indicated that the inherent, smaller-scale roughness of the stratum corneum remained when lines with heights of 20–200 μm and spacings of 600–2000 μm were introduced, but it was somewhat reduced on the grid lines. Surface Forces Apparatus (SFA) friction experiments on stratum corneum were performed at low speed (μm/s, back-and-forth sliding) and at more realistic, high speed (cm/s, rotational sliding). Two stratum corneum surfaces ...