Enhancing the Bioactivity of Yttria-Stabilized Tetragonal Zirconia Ceramics via Grain-Boundary Activation

• Published in: ACS applied materials & interfaces Vol. 9; no. 19; pp. 16015 - 16025
• Main Authors: Ke, Jinhuan, He, Fupo, Ye, Jiandong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 17.05.2017
• Subjects: aesthetics; apatite; atmospheric pressure; bioactive properties; biocompatibility; bones; cell adhesion; cell culture; Ceramics; chemical bonding; dental prosthesis; energy-dispersive X-ray analysis; gelation; glass; Materials Testing; mechanical properties; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Raman spectroscopy; Reproducibility of Results; scanning electron microscopy; Surface Properties; X-ray diffraction; Yttrium; Zirconium - chemistry; grain-boundary activation; cellular response; bioactivity; BG infiltration; Y-TZP; dental implant material; mechanical properties
• ISSN: 1944-8244; 1944-8252; 1944-8252
• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b03405

Yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia (Y-TZP) has been proposed as a potential dental implant because of its good biocompatibility, excellent mechanical properties, and distinctive aesthetic effect. However, Y-TZP cannot form chemical bonds with bone tissue because of its biological inertness, which affects the reliability and long-term efficacy of Y-TZP implants. In this study, to improve the bioactivity of Y-TZP ceramics while maintaining their good mechanical performance, Y-TZP was modified by grain-boundary activation via the infiltration of a bioactive glass (BG) sol into the surface layers of Y-TZP ceramics under different negative pressures (atmospheric pressure, −0.05 kPa, and −0.1 kPa), followed by gelling and sintering. The in vitro bioactivity, mechanical properties, and cell behavior of the Y-TZP with improved bioactivity were systematically investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and Raman spectroscopy. The results of the bioactivity test conducted by immersing Y-TZP in simulated body fluid (SBF) showed that a bonelike apatite layer was produced on the entire surface. The mechanical properties of the modified Y-TZP decreased as the negative pressure in the BG-infiltration process increased relative to those of the Y-TZP blank group. However, the samples infiltrated with the BG sol under −0.05 kPa and atmospheric pressure still retained good mechanical performance. The cell-culture results revealed that the bioactive surface modification of Y-TZP could promote cell adhesion and differentiation. The present work demonstrates that the bioactivity of Y-TZP can be enhanced by grain-boundary activation, and the bioactive Y-TZP is expected to be a potential candidate for use as a dental implant material.