A high-power glucose fuel cell for potential application in implant surfaces

Abstract

The glucose fuel cells (GFCs) leverage the implant surface as an electrode, representing an optimal approach for miniaturizing implantable power sources. A conductive hydrogel electrode membrane is crafted through in situ reduction and electrochemical co-deposition techniques by employing bacterial cellulose as a scaffold. This process enables the seamless integration of the GFC directly onto the implant surface. The integrated GFC exhibits an impressive open-circuit voltage peak of 0.894 V and a peak power density of 94.7 μW cm−2. Additionally, the fuel cell demonstrates resistance to chloride ion toxicity under simulated interstitial fluid conditions. Although performance within horse serum is moderate, the methodology presents a viable strategy for developing GFCs on implant surfaces.