title: Nanoscale metal-organic frameworks as potential multimodal contrast enhancing agents.
abstract: Nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (NMOFs) based on Gd3+ centers and benzenedicarboxylate and benzenetricarboxylate bridging ligands were synthesized using reverse microemulsions and characterized using SEM, PXRD, and TGA. These NMOFs exhibit extraordinarily large R1 and R2 relaxivities because of the presence of up to tens of millions of Gd3+ centers in each nanoparticle and are thus efficient T1 and T2 contrast agents for MRI. The NMOFs can also be made highly luminescent by doping with Eu3+ or Tb3+ centers. The results from this work suggest that NMOFs can be used as potential contrast agents for multimodal imaging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Rieter
authors.forename: Kathryn M L
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Hongyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Weili
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Wenbin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D005682:Gadolinium