Atomic force microscopy imaging of hair: correlations between surface potential and wetting at the nanometer scale

Nanoscale friction of biomimetic hair surfaces

We investigate the nanoscale friction between biomimetic hair surfaces using chemical colloidal probe atomic force microscopy experiments and nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. In the experiments, friction is measured between water-lubricated silica surfaces functionalised with monolayers formed from either octadecyl or sulfonate groups, which are representative of the surfaces of virgin and ultimately bleached hair, respectively. In the simulations, friction is monitored between coarse-grained model hair surfaces with different levels of chemical damage, where a specified amount of grafted octadecyl groups are randomly replaced with sulfonate groups. The sliding velocity dependence of friction in the simulations can be described using an extended stress-augmented thermally activation model. As the damage level increases in the simulations, the friction coefficient generally increases, but its sliding velocity-dependence decreases. At low sliding velocities, which are closer to those encountered experimentally and physiologically, we observe a monotonic increase of the friction coefficient with damage ratio, which is consistent with our new experiments using biomimetic surfaces and previous ones using real hair. This observation demonstrates that modified surface chemistry, rather than roughness changes or subsurface damage, control the increase in nanoscale friction of bleached or chemically damaged hair. We expect the methods and biomimetic surfaces proposed here to be useful to screen the tribological performance of hair care formulations both experimentally and computationally.

Hair surface interactions against different chemical functional groups as a function of environment and hair condition

OBJECTIVE

The nature and magnitude of molecular interactions on hair surfaces underpin the design of formulated products, of which the application involves a competitive adsorption process between cationic surfactants, fatty alcohols and surface actives such as silicone. The knowledge of molecular interaction with hair surface will not only provide insight on the surface binding affinity but also offer an effective methodology in characterizing surface deposits.

METHODS

Untreated and chemically treated hair samples were treated with either conditioner chassis alone (gel network) or conditioner chassis plus silicone (chassis/TAS). Hair surface interactions against four different chemical functional groups, namely methyl (-CH3 ), acid (-COOH), amine (-NH2 ) and hydroxyl (-OH), were quantified in both ambient and aqueous environment using Chemical Force Microscopy, a method based on atomic force microscopy (AFM).

RESULTS

Surface adhesion on hair in ambient is dominated by capillary force that is determined by both the wettability of hair fibre (hydrophobic vs. hydrophilic), presence of any deposits and the chemical functionality of the AFM cantilever. Capillary force is diminished and replaced by electrostatic interaction when polar groups are present on both hair and AFM cantilever. A distinctively different force, hydrophobic interaction, plays a major role when virgin hair and hydrophobic functionalized AFM cantilever make contact in water.

CONCLUSION

Results acquired by AFM cantilevers of different functional groups show that hydrophobic interaction is a key driver for deposition on virgin hair, whilst electrostatic interaction is the most important one for bleached hair. Interfacial conformation of chassis components upon deposition is determined by the hair surface properties. Our study highlights the possibility of a range of polar groups, not necessarily negatively charged, on the damaged hair. Unlike conventional surface chemical analysis method, it is possible to quantitatively evaluate the interfacial conformation of deposited surface actives on hair, which identifies the target moieties for conditioning products on different types of hair.

Coarse-grained molecular models of the surface of hair

We present a coarse-grained molecular model of the surface of human hair, which consists of a supported lipid monolayer, in the MARTINI framework. Using coarse-grained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we identify a lipid grafting distance that yields a monolayer thickness consistent with both atomistic MD simulations and experimental measurements of the hair surface. Coarse-grained models for fully-functionalised, partially damaged, and fully damaged hair surfaces are created by randomly replacing neutral thioesters with anionic sulfonate groups. This mimics the progressive removal of fatty acids from the hair surface by bleaching and leads to chemically heterogeneous surfaces. Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we study the island structures formed by the lipid monolayers at different degrees of damage in vacuum and in the presence of polar (water) and non-polar (n-hexadecane) solvents. We also use MD simulations to compare the wetting behaviour of water and n-hexadecane droplets on the model surfaces through contact angle measurements, which are compared to experiments using virgin and bleached hair. The model surfaces capture the experimentally-observed transition of the hair surface from hydrophobic (and oleophilic) to hydrophilic (and oleophobic) as the level of bleaching damage increases. By selecting surfaces with specific damage ratios, we obtain contact angles from the MD simulations that are in good agreement with experiments for both solvents on virgin and bleached human hairs. To negate the possible effects of microscale curvature and roughness of real hairs on wetting, we also conduct additional experiments using biomimetic surfaces that are co-functionalised with fatty acids and sulfonate groups. In both the MD simulations and experiments, the cosine of the water contact angle increases linearly with the sulfonate group surface coverage with a similar slope. We expect that the proposed systems will be useful for future molecular dynamics simulations of the adsorption and tribological behaviour of hair, as well as other chemically heterogeneous surfaces.

Surface science of cosmetic substrates, cleansing actives and formulations

The development of shampoo and cleansing formulations in cosmetics is at a crossroads due to consumer demands for better performing, more natural products and also the strong commitment of cosmetic companies to improve the sustainability of cosmetic products. In order to go beyond traditional formulations, it is of great importance to clearly establish the science behind cleansing technologies and appreciate the specificity of cleansing biological surfaces such as hair and skin. In this review, we present recent advances in our knowledge of the physicochemical properties of the hair surface from both an experimental and a theoretical point of view. We discuss the opportunities and challenges that newer, sustainable formulations bring compared to petroleum-based ingredients. The inevitable evolution towards more bio-based, eco-friendly ingredients and sustainable formulations requires a complete rethink of many well-known physicochemical principles. The pivotal role of digital sciences and modelling in the understanding and conception of new ingredients and formulations is discussed. We describe recent numerical approaches that take into account the specificities of the hair surface in terms of structuration, different methods that study the adsorption of formulation ingredients and finally the success of new data-driven approaches. We conclude with practical examples on current formulation efforts incorporating bio-surfactants, controlling foaming and searching for new rheological properties.

Scanning Electron Microscopes/Silicon Drift Detector-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy: An Analytical Tool to Identify Waterborne Microminerals Pickup in Human Scalp Hair Cuticle due to Water Quality

Background and Significance

Still vast majority of the population in urban and rural set up using varied water quality for their day today washing of their hair in many parts of the countries may suffer or experience rough hair or uncombable syndrome. The quality of maintaining healthy hair may be impaired due to salty ions from water sources, dyes, or pollutants etc., We have identified a well-known instrumental technique SEM/SDD-EDS method to identify and estimate the waterborne minerals in the scalp hair cuticle in a non-destructive way.

Materials and Methods

Identify volunteers of urban and rural folks using treated or untreated water for their routine hair wash at least for two consecutive years and examine their scalp hair cuticle using SEM/SDD- EDS.

Results

Water borne minerals calcium and aluminium pick up were distinctly identified in the scalp hair cuticle as reflected by the quality of water used in urban and rural set up. Further restoration of lipid layer through prior application of coconut oil and or usage of conditioners prevents calcium pick up. Thereby, SEM/SDD-EDS is one of the suitable techniques to estimate the concentration of waterborne minerals in the scalp hair cuticle.

Friction Determination by Atomic Force Microscopy in Field of Biochemical Science

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is an analytical nanotechnology in friction determination between microscale and nanoscale surfaces. AFM has advantages in mechanical measurement, including high sensitivity, resolution, accuracy, and simplicity of operation. This paper will introduce the principles of mechanical measurement by using AFM and reviewing the progress of AFM methods in determining frictions in the field of biochemical science over the past decade. While three friction measurement assays-friction morphology, friction curve and friction process in experimental cases-are mainly introduced, important advances of technology, facilitating future development of AFM are also discussed. In addition to the principles and advances, the authors also give an overview of the shortcomings and restrictions of current AFM methods, and propose potential directions of AFM techniques by combining it with other well-established characterization techniques. AFM methods are expected to see an increase in development and attract wide attention in scientific research.

Adsorption of polyelectrolytes and polyelectrolytes-surfactant mixtures at surfaces: a physico-chemical approach to a cosmetic challenge

The use of polymer and polymer - surfactant mixtures for designing and developing textile and personal care cosmetic formulations is associated with various physico-chemical aspects, e.g. detergency and conditioning in the case of hair or wool, that determine their correct performances in preserving and improving the appearance and properties of the surface where they are applied. In this work, special attention is paid to the systems combining polycations and negatively charged surfactants. The paper introduces the hair surface and presents a comprehensive review of the adsorption properties of these systems at solid-water interfaces mimicking the negative charge and surface energy of hair. These model surfaces include mixtures of thiols that confer various charge densities to the surface. The kinetics and factors that govern the adsorption are discussed from the angle of those used in shampoos and conditioners developed by the cosmetic industry. Finally, systems able to adsorb onto negatively charged surfaces regardless of the anionic character are presented, opening new ways of depositing conditioning polymers onto keratin substrates such as hair.

Towards an improved understanding of liquid transportation along a hair fiber: ratchet-like microstructure induced capillary rise

Hair cuticular cells speed up sweat transportation and thus hair care is important in the cosmetic industry.

Adsorption of conditioning polymers on solid substrates with different charge density

The adsorption processes of polymers that belong to two different families (neutral hydrophilic polymers and cationic polysaccharide polymers) onto solid surfaces with different charge density have been studied using dissipative quartz crystal microbalance (D-QCM) and ellipsometry. The polymers studied are very frequently used in the cosmetic industry as conditioning agents. The adsorption kinetics of the polymers involves at least two steps. The total adsorbed amount depends on the charge density of the surface for both types of polymers. The comparison of the adsorbed mass on each layer obtained from D-QCM and from ellipsometry has allowed calculating the water content of the layers that reaches high values for the polymers studied. The analysis of D-QCM results also provided information about the shear modulus of the layers, whose values have been found to be typical of a rubber-like polymer system. The main driving force of the adsorption was found to be the energy of the interactions between chains and surface.

Ultrasmall liquid droplets on solid surfaces: production, imaging, and relevance for current wetting research

The investigation of micro- and nanoscale droplets on solid surfaces offers a wide range of research opportunities both at a fundamental and an applied level. On the fundamental side, advances in the techniques for production and imaging of such ultrasmall droplets will allow wetting theories to be tested down to the nanometer scale, where they predict the significant influence of phenomena such as the contact line tension or evaporation, which can be neglected in the case of macroscopic droplets. On the applied side, these advances will pave the way for characterizing a diverse set of industrially important materials such as textile or biomedical micro- and nanofibers, powdered solids, and topographically or chemically nanopatterned surfaces, as well as micro-and nanoscale devices, with relevance in diverse industries from biomedical to petroleum engineering. Here, the basic principles of wetting at the micro- and nanoscales are presented, and the essential characteristics of the main experimental techniques available for producing and imaging these droplets are described. In addition, the main fundamental and applied results are reviewed. The most problematic aspects of studying such ultrasmall droplets, and the developments that are in progress that are thought to circumvent them in the coming years, are highlighted.

Wetting and electrical properties of the human hair surface: delipidation observed at the nanoscale

The electrostatic properties and the wetting behaviour of the human hair surface at the nanometric scale have been investigated by using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Surface potential imaging was used to determine the electrostatic properties while non-contact mode AFM was used to investigate the wetting properties of a test liquid, squalane. We have studied natural hair and hair in which different covalently (18-methyleicosanoic acid) and non-covalently bound fatty acids present at the cuticle surface were selectively extracted. This study shows how the removal of these acids causes various profound changes in hair wettability at the cuticle scale.