Visualisation of the Permeation of Chlorhexidine Within Skin Using Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS)

Abstract

The stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the skin, is the rate-limiting barrier to the ingress of exogenous chemicals. To improve the bioavailablility of future topically applied formulations, the permeation pathway and distribution throughout the skin strata must be understood and permeation into and across the skin characterised. Thus, this study outlines the development of a Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) method in order to visualise drug permeation within the skin and its potential applications in skin permeation studies.