UV-NIL fabricated bio-inspired inlays for injection molding to influence the friction behavior of ceramic surfaces

We demonstrate the successful replication of biological surface structures, specifically the surface of the ventral snake skin, onto polymer foils using UV-assisted nanoimprint lithography (NIL). The foils were used as mold inlays for ceramic injection molding. Additionally, artificial structures mimicking the snake skin were designed by 3D lithography. The size of the features that can be replicated into the ceramics depends on the ceramic grain size after sintering. This study demonstrates that the transfer of complex biological and artificial structures onto the surfaces of non-flat ceramic parts is possible, including their anisotropic friction-reducing properties.