Facile one-pot synthesis of Fe3O4@Au composite nanoparticles for dual-mode MR/CT imaging applications.
A facile one-pot hydrothermal approach to synthesizing Fe3O4@Au composite nanoparticles (CNPs) for dual-mode magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) imaging applications is reported. In this work, polyethyleneimine (PEI) partially modified with poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether (mPEG) was used as a stabilizer to form gold NPs (mPEG-PEI.NH2-Au NPs) with the assistance of sodium borohydride reduction. The mPEG-PEI.NH2-Au NPs were then mixed with iron(II) salt in a basic aqueous solution followed by treatment under an elevated temperature and pressure. This hydrothermal process led to the formation of Fe3O4@Au-mPEG-PEI.NH2 CNPs. The remaining PEI amine groups were finally acetylated to reduce the surface positive charge of the CNPs. The formed Fe3O4@Au-mPEG-PEI.NHAc (Fe3O4@Au) CNPs were characterized via different techniques. The combined in vitro cell viability assay, cell morphology observation, flow cytometry, and hemolysis assay data show that the formed Fe3O4@Au CNPs are noncytotoxic and hemocompatible in the given concentration range. MR and CT imaging data reveal that the formed Fe3O4@Au CNPs have a relatively high r2 relaxivity (146.07 mM(-1) s(-1)) and good X-ray attenuation property, which enables their uses as contrast agents for MR imaging of mouse liver and CT imaging of rat liver and aorta. The Fe3O4@Au CNPs developed via the facile one-pot approach may have promising potential for the dual-mode MR/CT imaging of different biological systems.
College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University , Shanghai 201620, P. R. China.
Jingchao
J
Li
Linfeng
L
Zheng
Hongdong
H
Cai
Wenjie
W
Sun
Mingwu
M
Shen
Guixiang
G
Zhang
Xiangyang
X
Shi
D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D011094:Polyethyleneimine / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D003287:Contrast Media; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D006046:Gold; D011094:Polyethyleneimine; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide