To address the skin-friendliness of synthetic surfaces intended for sports applications, the frictional
properties of hydrated zwitterionic polymer brushes are investigated outside of the common aqueous
environment where an excess of lubricating water molecules is absent. Photo-grafted poly(sulfobetaine
methacrylate) (pSBMA) brushes of various irradiation durations are prepared on polypropylene substrates
and the improvement in frictional properties of the pSBMA-modified surfaces against a silicone skin
counter-surface is studied. Frictional measurements under both dry and hydrated surface conditions
shows that the applied surface modification was capable of forming a stable lubrication layer in the
absence of excess water, significantly reducing the coefficient of friction by up to 78.8%. The pSBMA
brushes also provide the additional advantage of antifouling – exhibiting resistance towards pathogenic
Staphylococcus aureus with almost zero surface colonization for samples irradiated for 1200 s. The low
skin-sample friction under ambient conditions and desirable fouling-resistance highlights the potential of
pSBMA brushes as a modification strategy for achieving skin-friendly surfaces targeted at reducing the
risk of skin abrasions
