Synthesis and Application of Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as High Efficiency Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agent

doi:10.15541/jim20140178

Abstract

Abstract:

Iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by thermal decomposition of iron (III) acetylacetonate (Fe(acac)₃) in poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), which was used as the solvent, reducing agent and modifying agent. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis indicates that the nanoparticles have magnetite crystal structure. The results of transmission electron microscope (TEM) show that the shapes of iron oxide nanoparticles coated with PEG are equiaxial with uniform morphology. Particles and Zeta potential analyses show that the surface of iron oxide nanoparticles is negatively charged, and their hydrodynamics size dispersed in deionized water is 20 nm. Iron oxide nanoparticles show superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature and high r₂/r₁ratio. MTT studies show that PEG-SPIONs have low cytotoxicity. In vivo magnetic resonance imaging reveals their excellent contrast effects of the PEG-SPIONs. This work demonstrates that iron oxide nanoparticles coated with PEG can be excellent T₂ MRI contrast agents.

Key words: iron oxide, nanoparticles, superparamagnetic, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), contrast agents

CLC Number:

O614

WANG Jun, ZHANG Bao-Lin, YANG Gao, WANG Lei, XIE Song-Bo, LI Xuan, GAO Fa-Bao. Synthesis and Application of Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as High Efficiency Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agent[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2015, 30(1): 53-58.

Figures/Tables 9

Fig. 1 XRD pattern of iron oxide nanoparticles prepared at 260℃ coated with PEG

Fig. 2 TEM image and size distribution of PEG-SPIONs prepared at 260℃

Fig. 3 FTIR spectrum of PEG-SPIONs prepared at 260℃

Fig. 4 Hydrodynamic size(a) and Zeta potential(b) of the iron oxide nanoparticles coated with PEG prepared at 260℃ in deionized water

Fig. 5 M-H curve of PEG-SPIONs at 300 K

Fig. 6 Cell viabilities of MCF-7 cells after incubation with different concentrations of PEG-SPIONs for 24 h

Fig. 7 T2 weight MR images (a) and the T2 relaxiation rate (b) of PEG-SPIONs with different Fe concentrations

Fig. 8 T2* MR images of the mouse brain before and after intravenous injection of PEG-SPIONs. (a) before injection, (b) 5 min, (c) 10 min, (d) 30 min, (e) 1 h, (f) 4 h and (g) 24 h after injection

Fig. 9 Relative T2* value of different brain regions extracted from T2* MR images of mouse brains before injection and 24 h after injection PEG-SPIONs

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