A biodegradable thin-film magnesium primary battery using silk fibroin-ionic liquid polymer electrolyte

Transient implantable medical bionics offer great
promise in the field of smart controlled release and tissue
regeneration. On-board energy storage is the ideal power system to
drive them. In this work, a critical component of such a device, a
biodegradable polymer electrolyte (silk fibroin−choline nitrate) has
been developed. The efficiency of this electrolyte is demonstrated
when deployed in a biodegradable thin-film magnesium battery. The
battery, encapsulated in silk, offers a specific capacity of 0.06 mAh cm−2.
The enzymatic degradation of the whole device occurs over 45 days
in the buffered protease XIV solution. A programmed battery lifetime
can be achieved using silk protection layers. This battery system
provides a new avenue for an on-board biodegradable power source
for next-generation transient medical bionics.