N hexan

Mg (99.95%) and Mg–6Ag (Mg with 6 weight % Ag) were produced by permanent mold gravity casting (Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Geesthacht, Germany) and extruded into rods (10 mm diameter). The rods were processed (9 mm diameter) and cut into disks (1.5 mm thickness; Henschel KG, Munich, Germany). Disks were ground (Saphir 360 from ATM GmbH, Mammelzen, Germany) on both sides using SiC 2500 grid paper (Starcke GmbH & Co.KG, Melle, Germany) at 80 rpm. Afterward, the samples were cleaned ultrasonically (Branson 1210, Branson Ultrasonics, Danbury, USA) for 20 min each in n-hexan, acetone, and 100% ethanol and sterilized in 70% ethanol (all chemicals from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany). Samples were then immersed in 2 mL DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS, starting the degradation experiments without cells, or preincubated in the medium for 24 h prior to experiments, including cells. Ti–6Al–4V (control) samples were cut from a round bar (F.W. Hempel Legierungsmetall GmbH and Co. KG, Oberhausen, Germany; 10 mm diameter × 2 mm height). Samples were polished, ultrasonically cleaned in 2% Hellmanex II solution (Hellma Materials GmbH, Jena, Germany), chloroform, and 100% ethanol (both chemicals from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany) (20 min each), and sterilized, as described above.