Abstract
Effective protection of power sources from corrosion is critical in the development of abiotic fuel cells, biofuel cells, hybrid cells and biobateries for implantable bioelectronics. Corrosion of these bioelectronic devices result in device inability to generate bioelectricity. In this paper Al/Au/ZnO was considered as a possible anodic substrate for the development of a hybrid cell. The protective abilities of corrosive resistant aluminum hydroxide and zinc phosphite composite films formed on the surface of Al/Au/ZnO anode in various electrolyte environments were examined by electrochemical methods. The presence of phosphate buffer and physiological saline (NaCl) buffer allows for the formation of aluminum hyrdroxide and zinc phosphite composite films on the surface of the Al/Au/ZnO anode that prevent further corrosion of the anode. The highly protective films formed on the Al/Au/ZnO anode during energy harvesting in a physiological saline environment resulted in 98.5% corrosion protective efficiency, thereby demonstrating that the formation of aluminum hydroxide and zinc phosphite composite films are effective in the prevention of anode corrosion during energy harvesting. A cell assembly consisting of the Al/Au/ZnO anode and platinum cathode resulted in an open circuit voltage of 1.03 V. A maximum power density of 955.3 μW/ cm2 in physiological saline buffer at a cell voltage and current density of 345 mV and 2.89 mA/ cm2, respectively.
Highlights
Effective protection of power sources from corrosion is critical in the development of abiotic fuel cells, biofuel cells, hybrid cells and biobateries for implantable bioelectronics
Most implantable bioelectronics require an internal source of power, which can be accomplished with the help of implantable power sources such as, biobatteries, hybrid cells, biofuel cells and abiotic fuel cells that use abiotic anode or enzymatic anode to catalyze natural occurring fuel inside the body
The as-prepared Al/Au/ZnO anodes (1 cm × 0.5 cm) and platinum cathodes ( = 500 m) were assembled to realize a hybrid cell operating in physiological saline buffer saturated with O2
Summary
Effective protection of power sources from corrosion is critical in the development of abiotic fuel cells, biofuel cells, hybrid cells and biobateries for implantable bioelectronics. The highly protective films formed on the Al/Au/ZnO anode during energy harvesting in a physiological saline environment resulted in 98.5% corrosion protective efficiency, thereby demonstrating that the formation of aluminum hydroxide and zinc phosphite composite films are effective in the prevention of anode corrosion during energy harvesting. The body is an extremely corrosive environment because of cations such as Na+, K+, Ca+, Mg+, anions such as chloride, bicarbonate, phosphate, and large amounts of dissolved oxygen found throughout the body [19,20,21] These molecules upset the chemical balance on the surface of implanted materials that lead to the consumption of these materials via anodic or cathodic reactions through galvanic corrosion. Implant corrosion can cause serious side effects because of the release of metal anions into the surrounding environments and blood stream These ions harm the body by either direct toxic effects or local hypersensitivity reactions. These effects of corrosion from implantable devices has heightened the need for corrosion prevention, especially when harvesting energy from within the body
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