title: Gold nanoparticles functionalised with stable, fast water exchanging Gd3+ chelates as high relaxivity contrast agents for MRI.
abstract: Gold nanoparticles functionalized with Gd(3+) chelates displaying fast water exchange, superb pH stability and inertness towards transmetalation with Zn(2+) have been prepared and characterized as a new high relaxivity (29 mM(-1) s(-1), 30 MHz, 25 °C) contrast agent potentially safe for in vivo MRI applications. The Lipari-Szabo treatment for internal rotation was used to evaluate the effect of linker flexibility on the relaxivity of the gold nanoparticles. The effect of fast water exchange on the relaxivity of gold nanoparticles functionalized with Gd(3+) chelates is also addressed in this communication.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Química, Campus de Gualtar, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mousavi
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: C I O
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Helm
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: C F G C
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Geraldes
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D014867:Water; D006046:Gold; D005682:Gadolinium