Ce Co-doping Research Articles

White light emission through efficient energy transfer from Ce3+ to Dy3+ ions in Ca3Mg3(PO4)4 matrix aided by Li+ charge compensator

In this work, we have comprehensively explored the energy transfer process between Ce3+ and Dy3+ ions doped in Ca3Mg3(PO4)4 host lattice. The phosphors were synthesized by facile urea-assisted combustion method. The charge imbalance, produced due to doping of trivalent lanthanides in the divalent sites of the host lattice, has been compensated by adding Li+ charge compensator. The structural characterization by Rietveld refinement, morphological and FTIR studies were performed on the as-prepared Ca2.96Mg3(PO4)4:0.01Ce3+, 0.01Dy3+, 0.02Li+ phosphor. The diffuse reflectance spectra and the photoluminescence spectra of the prepared phosphors and the electron-vibration interaction (EVI) parameters of Ca3Mg3(PO4)4:Ce3+,Li+ phosphor were thoroughly analysed. Ca3Mg3(PO4)4:Ce3+,Dy3+,Li+ phosphor exhibited its ability to produce white light emission at UV excitation wavelength 316nm. The codoping of Ce3+ ions enhanced the PL emission intensity of Dy3+ by ten times as compared to the intensity obtained for the samples that were singly-doped with Dy3+. The results suggest the use of single-phased Ca2.96Mg3(PO4)4:0.01Ce3+, 0.01Dy3+, 0.02Li+ phosphor as potential white light emitting phosphor.

Study on the emission property of YBO3 with co-doping of Ce and Gd ions

We investigated the co-doping effect of Ce3+ and Gd3+ ions on the visible emission in vaterite-type orthoborate YBO3. By using photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy, we found that the co-doping of the Gd3+ ions increased the violet-blue emission of the Ce ions significantly. In basis of the optical spectroscopic data, we discussed our results in terms of the energy transfer between Ce3+ and Gd3+ ions.

The structural and multiferroic properties of Bi(1−x)Ce x Fe(1−x)(Mg0.5Ti0.5) x O3 thin films

Bi(1−x)Ce x Fe(1−x)(Mg0.5Ti0.5) x O3 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, 0.25) thin films were synthesized by a sol–gel method. The structural, electrical and magnetic properties of Bi(1−x)Ce x Fe(1−x)(Mg0.5Ti0.5) x O3 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, 0.25) thin films have been investigated. BiFeO3 thin film possessed a perovskite-type rhombohedral structure with space group R3c, and the average grain size decreased as the concentration of Ce, Mg and Ti co-doping increased. The leakage current densities of BiFeO3 co-doping with Ce, Mg and Ti ions exhibited a significant reduction compared with that of BiFeO3 thin film. Compared with the leakage current density of BiFeO3 thin film (4.19 × 10−4 A/cm2), the leakage current density of Bi0.80Ce0.20Fe0.80Mg0.10Ti0.10O3 thin film was reduced by about four orders of magnitude (1.05 × 10−8 A/cm2) under the electric field of 300 kV/cm. Well-defined ferroelectric loops were obtained and the polarization increased with the increase of Ce, Ti and Mg co-doping. The remanent polarization of Bi0.80Ce0.20Fe0.80Mg0.10Ti0.10O3 thin film (2P r ~34.9 μC/cm2) was approximately four times larger than that of pure BiFeO3 (2P r ~7.8 μC/cm2) under the applied field of 300 kV/cm. The magnetization under 10 kOe magnetic field of Bi(1−x)Ce x Fe(1−x)(Mg0.5Ti0.5) x O3 thin films increased with the increasing concentration of Ce, Mg and Ti co-doping. The improvement of magnetic behaviors for BiFeO3 co-doping with Ce, Mg and Ti ions thin films were observed significantly, cooperating with the enhanced ferroelectricity which indicated that BiFeO3 co-doping with Ce, Mg and Ti ions thin films will be the promising materials in the application to magnetoelectric devices.

A Computational Study of Ferromagnetic Exchange Interactions and Charge Transfer in Codoped Gallium Nitride

This study reports a systematic density functional theory-based analysis on electronic properties of individual doping and codoping of Ti and Ce into GaN. In the case of codoped GaN, the placement of Ti and Ce at nearest neighbour sites appeared as the most stable configuration. The unoccupied states in the case of individual doped material are observed to become occupied after codoping, and a metal-to-metal charge transfer of the Ti-N-Ce character is observed in the material. The interaction between dopants suggests 4f-5d-CB hybridization that opens the way to the exploitation of novel luminescence phenomena. A model showing charge transfer and interaction between the dopants is proposed.

Sodium alginate assisted hydrothermal method to prepare praseodymium and cerium co-doped ZnSn(OH)6 hollow microspheres and synergistically enhanced ethanol sensing performance

Pure ZnSn(OH)6, 0.6mol% Pr doped ZnSn(OH)6, 0.6mol% Ce doped ZnSn(OH)6 and 0.6mol% Pr/Ce co-doped ZnSn(OH)6 hollow microspheres were fabricated with water-soluble biopolymer sodium alginate as crystal growth modifier under hydrothermal conditions. The prepared samples were characterized by of X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray detector (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) analysis to assess the crystalline properties, morphology, chemical composition and optical properties, respectively. For the Pr/Ce-ZnSn(OH)6 sample, the XPS test confirmed that Pr3+/Pr4+ and Ce4+ ions were successful doped into the ZnSn(OH)6 lattice; the UV test revealed that it could absorb visible light due to the red-shift in the absorption edges and the band gap was narrowed to 3.06eV. In subsequent sensing test, the sensor based on Pr/Ce-ZnSn(OH)6 hollow microspheres demonstrated the positive influence of the Pr and Ce co-doping on the sensing performance toward 50ppm ethanol, including ultrafast response and recovery time (1 and 7s) as well as relatively lower optimal operating temperature (240°C). The excellent gas sensing properties might ascribe to more electron-donor defects and lower band gap energy which were generated by Pr and Ce co-doping. Meanwhile, the high accessible surface area and easy gas diffusion induced by the unique porous hollow spherical structure were also a contributing factor. In addition, the possible formation mechanism of the specific morphology of the prepared samples was discussed, too.

Preparation, characterization of Fe, Ce Co-doped flower-like TiO2 photocatalysts and their properties in photocatalytic oxidation of arsenite

Preoxidation process is usually needed in the treatment of arsenic containing water because arsenite (i.e., As(III)) is less easily to be removed by adsorption. Nano-scale titanium dioxide (TiO2) is an efficient photocatalyst for arsenite oxidation. In this study, a series of photocatalysts of un-doped, single-doped and co-doped flower-like TiO2 were successfully prepared by template method using Fe(NO3)3 · 9H2O, ammonium ceric nitrate and tetrabutyl titanate (Ti(OC4H9)4) as precursors and glucan as template. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and N2 adsorption-desorption measurement were employed to characterize the morphology, crystal structure and surface structure of the samples. The photoabsorbance of the obtained catalysts was measured by UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, and the photocatalytic activities of the prepared samples under UV light were estimated by measuring the oxidation rate of As(III) in an aqueous solution. The characterizations indicated that the prepared photocatalysts had flowerlike structures, consisted of anatase phase and possessed high surface area of ca. 160 m2/g. It was shown that the Fe, Ce co-doped flower-like TiO2 could be used as an effective catalyst in photocatalytic oxidation reactions. The synergistic effect of Fe and Ce co-doping played an important role in improving the photocatalytic activity. In addition, the possibility of cyclic usage of the co-doped flower-like TiO2 was also confirmed, the photocatalytic activity of flower-like TiO2 remained 88% of that of the fresh sample after being used four times.

High thermal stability and quantum yields of green-emitting Sr3Gd2(Si3O9)2:Tb3+ phosphor by co-doping Ce3+

A series of Tb3+ mono-doped and Ce3+-Tb3+ co-doped Sr3Gd2(Si3O9)2 phosphors with high thermal stability and quantum yields were successfully prepared via the solid state reaction. The as-prepared Sr3Gd2(Si3O9)2:Tb3+ samples showed broad excitation spectrum from 250 to 400 nm and presented characteristic emission transitions 5D4→7FJ (J=6, 5, 4, 3) of Tb3+ under 313 nm excitation, which were located at about 488, 541, 584 and 620 nm. The emission intensities of Tb3+ rose steadily in Sr3Gd2(Si3O9)2 host with the increase of Tb3+ concentration even though Gd3+ ions were completely replaced by Tb3+ ions. The Ce3+ ion as a sensitizer could efficiently improve the performance of Tb3+ ion. First, with Ce3+ co-doping, the excitation spectrum of Tb3+ monitored at 541 nm showed a similar band that responds to the violet emission of Ce3+ monitored at 416 nm. Second, the quantum yields of Sr3Gd2(Si3O9)2:Tb3+ phosphors could be enhanced from 26.6% to 80.2% by co-doping Ce3+. Finally, the co-doping of Ce3+ was also effective to improve the thermal stability of Sr3Gd2(Si3O9)2:Tb3+. As the temperature rose to 150 °C, the emission intensity of Tb3+ remained at about 83.6% of that measured at room temperature, which was better than the commercial YAG:Ce phosphor in terms of their thermal quenching properties. These results indicated that the as-prepared Sr3Gd2(Si3O9)2:Tb3+,Ce3+ samples could be used as green emission phosphors for possible applications in near ultraviolet based WLEDs.

The luminescent properties and crystal structure of Sr(1.5-x)-(1.5y) Mg0.5 SiO4 :xEu2+ ,yCe3+ blue phosphor synthesized by co-precipitation method.

In order to improve the luminescent performance of silicate blue phosphors, Sr(1.5-x)-(1.5y) Mg0.5 SiO4 :xEu2+ ,yCe3+ phosphors were synthesized using one-step calcination of a precursor prepared by chemical co-precipitation. The crystal structure and luminescent properties of the phosphors were analyzed using X-ray diffraction and fluorescence spectrophotometry, respectively. Because the activated ions (Eu2+ ) can occupy two different types of sites (Sr1 and Sr2 ), the emission spectrum of Eu2+ excited at 350nm contains two single bands (EM1 and EM2 ) in the wavelength range 400-550nm, centered at 463nm, and the emission intensity first increases and then decreases with increasing concentrations of Eu2+ ions. Co-doping of Ce3+ ions can greatly enhance the emission intensity of Eu2+ by transferring its excitation energy to Eu2+ . Because of concentration quenching, a higher substitution concentration of Ce3+ can lead to a decrease in the intensity. Meanwhile, the quantum efficiency of the phosphor is improved after doping with Ce3+ , and a blue shift phenomenon is observed in the CIE chromaticity diagram. The results indicate that Sr(1.5-x)-(1.5y) Mg0.5 SiO4 :xEu2+ ,yCe3+ can be used as a potential new blue phosphor for white light-emitting diodes.

La/Ce-codoped Bi2O3 composite photocatalysts with high photocatalytic performance in removal of high concentration dye

A series of La/Ce-codoped Bi2O3 composite photocatalysts were fabricated via hydrothermal–calcination process. The as-prepared products were intensively characterized by some physicochemical characterizations like N2 physical adsorption, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance (UV–Vis DRS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), photoelectrochemical measurements, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The characterization results indicated that La and Ce doping induced obvious crystal phase transformation in Bi2O3, from monoclinic to tetragonal phase. La and Ce codoping also gave rise to the obvious synergetic effects, e.g., the lattice contraction of Bi2O3, the decrease of crystal size and the increase of surface area. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared catalysts was evaluated by removal of dye acid orange II with high concentration under visible light irradiation. Results showed that La/Ce-codoped Bi2O3 displayed much higher photocatalytic performance than that of bare Bi2O3, single La or Ce doped Bi2O3 samples. The superior photocatalytic activity was mainly attributed to the improved texture and surface properties and the synergistic effects of La and Ce codoping on suppressing the recombination of photo-generated electrons (e−) and holes (h+).

Suppression mechanism of radiation-induced darkening by Ce doping in Al/Yb/Ce-doped silica glasses: Evidence from optical spectroscopy, EPR and XPS analyses

Yb3+/Al3+ co-doped silica glasses with different Ce2O3 contents were prepared using the sol–gel method combined with high-temperature sintering. Changes in refractive index, absorption, emission and fluorescence lifetime of these glasses caused by X-ray irradiation were recorded and analyzed systematically. It is found that co-doping with certain amount of Ce could greatly improve the radiation resistance without evident negative effects on the basic optical properties of the Yb3+ ions in the near-infrared region. The nature of the radiation-induced color centres and the mechanism by which Ce prevented the formation of these centres were studied using optical absorption, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) methods. Direct evidence confirmed that trapped electron centres (Yb2+/Si-E′/Al-E′) and trapped hole centres (Al-OHCs) were effectively inhibited by Ce doping, which was correlated to the coexistence of the redox couple Ce3+/Ce4+ in the glasses. These results are helpful to understand the micro-structural origin and the suppression mechanism by Ce co-doping of the photodarkening effect in Yb3+-doped silica fibers.

Design of Cu–Ce co-doped TiO2 for improved photocatalysis

The fast recombination of photo-generated conduction band electrons (ecb−) and valance band holes (hvb+) of TiO2 results in an unsatisfactory photocatalytic performance for organic degradation. To increase the efficiency of charge separation, TiO2 was modified by Cu–Ce co-doping considering the better redox properties of copper–ceria oxide with respect to the single oxide, i.e., an easier electron capturing ability. An optimal Cu–Ce co-doped TiO2 with the initial molar ratio of Cu/Ce at 3:1 was prepared by a hydrothermal method with the aim to greatly promote the charge separation, and characterized by XRD, BET, DRS, PL, HR-TEM, and XPS techniques. Upon ultraviolet light irradiation, it exhibits significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity, about 5.8 times that of Ti–HF. The presence of Cu2+ and Ce3+/Ce4+ benefits electrons captured by molecular oxygen, while an increased hydroxyl groups upon Cu–Ce co-doping consume more holes, resulting in prolonged lifetime of photo-generated carriers. Moreover, it is proved that electron transfers preferably from conduction band (CB) of TiO2 to CB of CuO and then to nearby CeO2.

Radiation Response of Ce-Codoped Germanosilicate and Phosphosilicate Optical Fibers

We report an experimental investigation on the effects of Ce-codoping in determining the radiation response of germanosilicate and phosphosilicate Optical Fibers (OFs) in the UV-Visible domain and up to doses of $1~\hbox{MGy}({\rm SiO}_{2})$ . We show that the addition of Ce strongly impacts the Radiation Induced Attenuation (RIA) of both types of fibers. In the first case the radiation induced losses increase, whereas in the second one decrease. By combining the online RIA measurements with the Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) ones, we are able to infer the basic microscopic mechanisms taking place under irradiation, which involve the cerium codopant and some of the known Ge-related or P-related defects. More precisely, we found that part of the Ce atoms are incorporated in the glass matrix as ${\rm Ce}^{3 + }$ ions by the production process and act as electron donor centers under irradiation. Consequently, the concentrations of radiation induced hole centers of Ge and P are drastically reduced. The reported results give an insight into possible ways of exploiting Ce codoping to control the radiation sensitivity of the OFs. Moreover, the OFs doped with cerium and phosphorous show a strongly reduced saturation effect at high radiation doses that make them a potential candidate for RIA-based dosimetry applications in a wide range of radiation doses.

Doping TiO2 with boron or/and cerium elements: Effects on photocatalytic antimicrobial activity

The aim of this study is to study the effect of ions co-doped on the photocatalytic antimicrobial activities of TiO2 nano-materials under illumination with visible light. Pure TiO2, boron or cerium single doped TiO2, boron and cerium co-doped TiO2 nano-materials were synthesized by a sol–gel method calcinated at 600 °C and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–Vis absorption spectra (DRS) and Photoluminescence spectra (PL). The photocatalytic antimicrobial activities of nano-materials were determined by killing rate of Staphylococcus aureus. The results show TiO2, B or/and Ce doped TiO2 nano-materials are anatase phase as the main crystalline phase. TiO2 doped with ions exhibit small crystal size and high specific surface area. B and Ce co-doping decreases the band gap of the TiO2 and effectively inhibits electrons and holes recombination. The present forms of boron ions are a substitution B occupying O sites, interstitial boron atoms and BOB bonds in [BO3]; Ce3+ and Ce4+ co-exist in the materials. The antimicrobial results show killing rate of B and Ce co-doping TiO2 is superior to the other materials, and B and Ce co-doped has a synergistic antimicrobial effect.

O2-Loading Treatment of Ge-Doped Silica Fibers: A Radiation Hardening Process

The effects of a high-pressure O2-loading treatment on the radiation response of Ge-doped optical fibers (OFs) were investigated. We found that the incorporation of high concentration of interstitial molecular oxygen remarkably enhances the resistance to ionizing radiation of Ge-doped OFs in the UV–Visible domain and, at the same time, improves the transmission of UV light in the unirradiated OF sample. By comparison with previously reported results, the O2-loading treatment turned out to increase the radiation resistance of Ge-doped OFs more efficiently than F or Ce codoping. The understanding of such amelioration relies in basic radiation-induced mechanisms that were characterized with three complementary experimental techniques: Confocal microluminescence (CML), online radiation-induced attenuation (RIA), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). We have shown that the almost intrinsic oxygen-deficient character of germanosilicate fibers can be overturned by forcing O2 diffusion in the glass matrix. The Germanium lone pair centers, which are precursor defects invariantly present in the as-drawn Ge-doped OFs, are converted to some other yet-undetermined species. Consequently, the usual chain of radiation-activated processes leading to the creation of Ge(1) and Ge(2) is substantially suppressed. The experiments have also highlighted an increased production of oxygen-excess related defects under irradiation. Although in terms of RIA, the tradeoff between the oxygen-excess and oxygen-deficient defects is already a positive one, it is conceivable that the radiation resistance of Ge-doped OFs can be further improved by optimizing the O2-loading treatment.

Photon-conversion and sensitization evaluation of Eu³⁺ in a borate glass system.

Photon conversion is exhibited in a borate (LKZBSB) glass system containing Eu(3+), and the enhanced characteristic emissions of Eu(3+) with the codoping of Ce(3+) have been verified. A large Judd-Ofelt intensity parameter Ω2 of Eu(3+) indicates a high asymmetrical and strong covalent environment around rare-earth (RE) ions in LKZBSB glasses and spontaneous emission probability and a maximum emission cross section of the dominant 5D0→7F2 transition were derived to be 370 s(-1) and 1.28×10(-21) cm2, respectively, revealing the potential UV→visible photon-conversion capacity of Eu(3+). Absolutely quantitative evaluation illustrates that Eu(3+) is a favorable photon-conversion center to achieve high photon-conversion efficiency. The addition of Ce(3+) is beneficial to realizing effective red emission of Eu(3+), which possesses commercial value by decreasing the dopant of expensive europium compounds. As an expectation, this photon-conversion LKZBSB glass system can promote the development of a photon downconversion layer for solar cells, which are particularly used in outer space with intense UV radiation.

Dy3+/Ce3+ Codoped YAG Transparent Ceramics for Single‐Composition Tunable White‐Light Phosphor

Superior optical, thermal, and mechanical properties of transparent ceramics are very important in the applications of solid lasers, solid‐state lighting, and transparent armors. Herein, a series of (Dy0.03CexY0.97−x)3Al5O12 transparent ceramics were fabricated using vacuum reactive sintering method. Importantly, these Dy3+/Ce3+ codoped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) transparent ceramics served as single‐composition tunable white‐light phosphors for UV‐LEDs is developed for the first time. By combining with commercially available UV‐LEDs directly, the optimal chromaticity coordinates and correlated color temperature (CCT) are (x = 0.33, y = 0.35) and 5609 K, respectively. Notably, the codoping of Ce3+ enhances the luminescent intensity of Dy3+ ions while excited at 327 nm. The emission color of YAG transparent ceramics can be tuned from white to yellow through energy transfer between Dy3+ and Ce3+. These new phosphors, possessing of pure CIE chromaticity and environmentally friendly nature, are promising for applications in white UV‐LEDs.

Ce3+ sensitize RE3+ (RE=Dy, Tb, Eu, Sm) doped LaPO4 nanophosphor with white emission tunability

Crystalline Ce3+ co-doped LaPO4:RE (RE=Dy3+, Tb3+, Eu3+, Sm3+) and mix doped rare earth ions of Dy3+, Tb3+ and Eu3+ were prepared by the polyol method at 150oC. Strongly enhance luminescence intensity is obtained with the co-doping of Ce3+ with LaPO4:Dy3+ and LaPO4:Tb3+ due to charge transfer (CT) occurring from Ce3+to Dy3+ and Ce3+ to Tb3+, where as there is no significant changes in luminescence intensity of Ce3+ co-doped Eu3+ and Sm3+ doped LaPO4 samples. The luminescence color can be tuned from green to white by varying the excitation wavelength for the mix ions Ce3+, Dy3+, Tb3+ and Eu3+ doped with LaPO4.

Growth and photorefractive properties of near-stoichiometric Pr:Ce codoping lithium niobate crystals

The congruent Pr(0.1wt%):Ce(0.1wt%):LiNbO3 (PCLN) crystal and near-stoichiometric Pr(0.1wt%):Ce(0.1wt%):LiNbO3 (PCSLN) crystal have been grown by the Czochralski method from melts having compositions of 48.6 and 58mol% Li2O, respectively. The Ultraviolet (UV)–Visible (Vis) absorption spectra and the OH− absorption spectra were investigated to characterize the structure defects of the crystals. The UV–Vis absorption edges shift to shorter wavelength and the OH− absorption peaks shift to longer wavelength as the [Li]/[Nb] ratio increases to stoichiometric. The photorefractive properties of the PCLN and PCSLN crystals were experimentally studied using the two-wave coupling method. The results show that as the [Li]/[Nb] ratio increases to stoichiometric, the holographic response time decreases; the diffraction efficiency, the photorefractive sensitivity and the dynamic range increase.

Photoluminescence properties and energy transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+ in Zn2SiO4 host

Zn2SiO4: Tb3+, Zn2SiO4: Ce3+, Zn2SiO4: Tb3+, Ce3+ phosphors were prepared by solidstate reaction at 1 150 °C for 2 h under a weak reducing atmosphere. Moreover, the XRD patterns and photoluminescence spectra were recorded and the effects of Tb3+ and Ce3+ concentration on the luminescent properties of as-synthesized phosphors were investigated. The emission spectra under ultraviolet light (333 nm) radiation showed a dominant peak at 542 nm attributed to the 5D4→7F5 transition of Tb3+, which was enhanced significantly (about 45 times) by the co-doping of Ce3+, indicating that there occurred an efficient energy transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+. According to the Dexter’s energy transfer formula of multipolar interaction, it was demonstrated that the energy transfer between Ce3+ and Tb3+ was due to the electric dipolar-dipolar interaction of the resonance transfer.

Surface roughened zirconia: towards hydrothermal stability

Surface roughness is needed in several yttria-stabilized zirconia components used in restorative dentistry for osseointegration or adhesion purposes. This can be achieved by different treatments, which may also modify the microstructure of the surface. Among them, sandblasting and chemical etching are widely used, but their effect on hydrothermal aging of zirconia is not fully understood. In the present work, the zirconia long-term stability of rough surfaces prepared by these techniques is analyzed and a method is proposed for preventing hydrothermal aging while maintaining the original surface appearance and mechanical properties. The method involves pressure infiltration of a Cerium salt solution on the roughened surfaces followed by a thermal treatment. The solution, trapped by surface defects and small pores, is decomposed during thermal treatment into Cerium oxide, which is diffused at high temperature, obtaining Ce co-doping in the near-surface region. In addition, the microstructural changes induced in the near-surface by sandblasting or chemical etching are removed by the thermal treatment together with surface defects. No color modification was observed and the final roughness parameters were in the range of existing implants of proved good osseointegration. The aging resistance of Ce co-doped materials was strongly enhanced, showing the absence of aging after artificial degradation, increasing in this way the surface mechanical integrity.The proposed treatment is easily applicable to the current manufacturing procedures of zirconia dental posts, abutments, crowns and dentures, representing a solution to hydrothermal aging in these and other biomedical applications.