Biodegradable Electronics: Materials, Designs, and Operational Characteristics for Fully Biodegradable Primary Batteries (Adv. Mater. 23/2014)

Transient electronics is an emerging technology whose key attribute is the ability to physically disappear, with applications including temporary implants and environmental sensors. On page 3879, J. A. Rogers and co-workers show the design of a primary magnesium battery that can fully degrade, without harm, in biofluids or groundwater. Monolithically integrating cells yields battery packs with sufficient power to operate conventional LEDs and radio transmitters.