Sputtered Mg100-xZnx (0 ≤ x ≤ 100) systems as anode materials for a biodegradable battery aimed for transient bioelectronics

Transient implantable medical devices are gaining research enthusiasm as an emerging technology in biomedicine. To provide on-board powering for such devices, a biodegradable battery is a promising choice. However, the anode material in such batteries, usually Mg or its alloys, suffer from parasitic corrosion and faster discharge kinetics, that limits the lifetime of these devices. In the pursuit of finding a better anode material, herein, the idea of combinatorial development is employed to fabricate a material having a good combination of corrosion resistance and discharge characteristics, by exploring a wider Mg100-xZnx (0 ≤ x ≤ 100 at.%) system. Using magnetron co-sputtering of Mg and Zn, six Mg100-xZnx (x = 0, 6, 20, 34, 41, 100) systems are synthesized. Structural characterization of these systems via X-Ray Diffraction manifests range of microstructures, from fully crystalline to fully amorphous, governed by alloy composition and sputtering conditions. The corrosion investigation of the six systems manifests a generally improving trend upon higher addition of Zn content. Additionally, the discharge performances of the systems are investigated in Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) solution, an in-vitro surrogate of physiological fluid, which demonstrates that discharge performances of the sputtered anode materials can be effectively tailored via a prudent design of alloy composition and microstructure.