RT Journal Article
T1 Iron oxide nanosized clusters embedded in porous nanorods: a new colloidal design to enhance capabilities of MRI contrast agents.
A1 Rebolledo, Aldo
A1 Laurent, Sophie
A1 Calero Calero, Macarena
A1 Villanueva, Angeles
A1 Knobel, Marcelo
A1 Marco, Jose
A1 Tartaj, Pedro
AB Development of nanosized materials to enhance the image contrast between the normal and diseased tissue and/or to indicate the status of organ functions or blood flow is essential in nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here we describe a contrast agent based on a new iron oxide design (superparamagnetic iron oxide clusters embedded in antiferromagnetic iron oxide porous nanorods). We show as a proof-of-concept that aqueous colloidal suspensions containing these particles show enhanced-proton relaxivities (i.e., enhanced MRI contrast capabilities). A remarkable feature of this new design is that large scale production is possible since aqueous-based routes are used, and porosity and iron oxide superparamagnetic clusters are directly developed from a single phase. We have also proved with the help of a simple model that the physical basis behind the increase in relaxivities lies on both the increase of dipolar field (interactions within iron oxide clusters) and the decrease of proton-cluster distance (porosity favors the close contact between protons and clusters). Finally, a list of possible steps to follow to enhance capabilities of this contrast agent is also included (partial coating with noble metals to add extra sensing capacity and chemical functionality, to increase the amount of doping while simultaneously carrying out cytotoxicity studies, or to find conditions to further decrease the size of the nanorods and to enhance their stability)
PB American Chemical Society
SN 1936-086X
YR 2010
FD 2010
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/93086
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/93086
LA eng
NO Aldo F. Rebolledo, Sophie Laurent, Macarena Calero, Angeles Villanueva, Marcelo Knobel, Jose F. Marco, and Pedro TartajACS Nano 2010 4 (4), 2095-2103DOI: 10.1021/nn9013388
NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
NO Comunidad de Madrid
DS Docta Complutense
RD 20 mar 2026