Cerium Ion-Incorporated Titanium Metal Implants of Enhanced Bioactivity for Biomedical Applications.

The enhancement in the performance of metallic bone implants based on commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti) by incorporation of cerium (Ce) ions onto the surface was evaluated. The incorporation of Ce ions onto the CP-Ti surface was carried out by a simple two-step chemical treatment method, where an initial NaOH treatment and then a subsequent treatment with different molar concentrations of ceric nitrate solution followed by heat treatment at 600 °C were carried out. The modified surfaces were observed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the laser Raman spectroscopic technique, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM).