Designing highly transparent cerium doped Y₂O₃ ceramics with high mechanical and thermal properties for UV-shielding in extreme conditions

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation poses risks to both human health and organics. In response to the urgent demand for UV-shielding across various applications, extensive endeavors have been dedicated to developing UV-shielding materials spanning from wide-bandgap semiconductors to organo-inorganic composite films. However, existing UV shielding materials, though suitable for daily use, cannot meet the demands of extreme conditions. In this work, we incorporated CeO₂ as a UV absorber into Y₂O₃ transparent ceramics for UV-shielding. The effect of CeO₂ concentration on the optical, mechanical, and thermal properties of Y₂O₃ ceramics was systematically investigated. These findings indicate that CeO₂ serves not only as a UV absorber but also as an effective sintering aid for Y₂O₃ transparent ceramics. The 5 at% Ce-doped Y₂O₃ transparent ceramics exhibit the optimal optical quality, with in-line transmittance of ~77% at 800 nm. The introduction of Ce shifted the UV cutoff edge of Y₂O₃ transparent ceramics from 250 to 375 nm, which was attributed to the visible band absorption of Ce⁴⁺. This shift grants UV shielding capabilities to Y₂O₃ transparent ceramics, resulting in 100% shielding for ultraviolet C (UVC, 100–280 nm) and ultraviolet B (UVB, 280–320 nm) and ~95% shielding for ultraviolet A (UVA, 320–400 nm). The service stability (optical properties) under various corrosive conditions (acid, alkali, UV irradiation, and high temperature) was investigated, confirming the excellent stability of this transparent ceramic UV-shielding material. A comparison of the performance parameters of transparent ceramics with those of traditional UV shielding materials such as glasses, films, and coatings was conducted. Our work provides innovative design concepts and an effective solution for UV-shielding materials for extreme conditions.