Biodegradable magnesium/iron batteries with polycaprolactone encapsulation: A microfabricated power source for transient implantable devices

Abstract

This study presents the design, fabrication, and testing of biodegradable magnesium/iron batteries featuring polycaprolactone (PCL) as a packaging and functional material. The use of PCL encapsulation minimized the electrochemical cell volume and supported longer discharge lifetimes and higher discharge rates than state-of-the-art biodegradable batteries. Specifically, the electrodes were separated and insulated by a 5 µm-thick PCL layer that served as both a battery packaging material and a permeable coating for physiological solution to penetrate and activate the battery. A systematic investigation of the electrode size, discharge rates, electrolyte selection, and polymeric coating revealed the critical reactions and phenomena governing the performance of the Mg-based biodegradable batteries. Comparison with previous reports on biodegradable batteries and medical-grade non-degradable lithium-ion batteries demonstrated the superior performance of PCL-coated Mg/Fe batteries at these size scales, which exhibited an energy density of 694 Wh kg−1 and a total volume of 0.02 cm3.