A battery composed of a polypyrrole cathode and a magnesium alloy anode-Toward a bioelectric battery

Authors

Yong Kong, Changzhou University, ChinaFollow
Caiyun Wang, University of WollongongFollow
Yang Yang, University of WollongongFollow
Chee O. Too, University of WollongongFollow
Gordon G. Wallace, University of WollongongFollow

RIS ID

59191

Publication Details

Kong, Y, Wang, C, Yang, Y, Too, CO, Wallace, GG (2012), A battery composed of a polypyrrole cathode and a magnesium alloy anode-Toward a bioelectric battery, Synthetic Metals, 162(7/8), pp. 584-589.

Abstract

A bioelectric battery can be implanted into the human body and relies on oxygen in the internal body fluid to produce electrical energy. In this work, a battery that uses polypyrrole doped with a biological polyelectrolyte (dextran sulfate, an anti-coagulant) as the cathode and bioresorbable Mg alloy (AZ61) as the anode was developed. This battery exhibited a discharge capacity of 565 mA h g^-1 in phosphate buffered saline (PBS, pH = 7.4), a commonly used electrolyte in biological research; offering a specific energy density of similar to 790W h kg^-1. The electrochemical properties of the cathode, anode and battery itself were investigated in different aqueous electrolytes. Cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, AC impedance, galvanostatic charge/discharge, and field-emission scanning microscopy techniques were applied for characterization.