A Novel Fabrication Route Yielding Self-supporting Porous Platinum Anodes for Implantable Glucose Micro Fuel Cells

We present a novel fabrication route yielding highly active platinum anodes for body implantable glucose micro fuel cells. Such devices harvest electrical energy from glucose and oxygen in body fluids and are currently under development as sustainable power supply for medical implants. The novel anode fabrication process roots on the interdiffusion of an extractable non-noble metal with bulk platinum. Upon removal of the non-noble component a porous platinum structure is obtained, which is self-supporting and electrically conductive. This obviates the need for polymer binders and additional current collectors. Due to biocompatibility considerations we use zinc as extractable component, as opposed to the nickel suggested in the historic literature. In contrast to conventional activated carbon supported platinum-bismuth electrodes the novel self-supporting platinum anodes show excellent mechanical and chemical stability at a comparable glucose oxidation performance.