Nature Mater. doi:10.1038/nmat2542 (2009)

Where temporary surgical implants are concerned, materials that decompose safely over time eliminate the need for costly and painful removal. Magnesium in its crystalline form has been used in some devices because it is about as strong as bone. But when it corrodes, it releases hydrogen gas, raising the risk of gas pockets being formed in tissues.

Jörg Löffler and his colleagues at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich sharply reduced gas release by creating glassy magnesium–zinc alloys. The gas reduction — which took place only if the alloy's zinc content was at least 28% — happened because a dense outer layer of zinc oxide or carbonate forms when the magnesium in these alloys decomposes, preventing hydrogen from forming bubbles.