title: Unusual Nature of Fingerprints and the Implications for Easy-to-Clean Coatings.
abstract: Irrespective of the technology, we now rely on touch to interact with devices such as smart phones, tablet computers, and control panels. As a result, touch screen technologies are frequently in contact with body grease. Hence, surface deposition arises from localized inhomogeneous finger-derived contaminants adhering to a surface, impairing the visual/optical experience of the user. In this study, we examined the contamination itself in order to understand its static and dynamic behavior with respect to deposition and cleaning. A process for standardized deposition of fingerprints was developed. Artificial sebum was used in this process to enable reproducibility for quantitative analysis. Fingerprint contamination was shown to be hygroscopic and to possess temperature- and shear-dependent properties. These results have implications for the design of easily cleanable surfaces.
authors.affiliation: Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia , Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
authors.forename: Bastian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stoehr
authors.affiliation: Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia , Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McClure
authors.affiliation: Fakultät Angewandte Chemie, Reutlingen University , Reutlingen 72762, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Höflich
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology , Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al Kobaisi
authors.affiliation: Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia , Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia , Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia , Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
authors.forename: Drew
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D003878:Dermatoglyphics; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012212:Rheology; D012492:Salts / Q000737:chemistry; D012629:Sebum / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014110:Touch; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D008055:Lipids; D012492:Salts; D014867:Water