Water‐Soluble <i>Ultra Small</i> Paramagnetic or Superparamagnetic Metal Oxide Nanoparticles for Molecular MR Imaging

Abstract

Abstract A simple and general one‐pot synthesis for water‐soluble ligand‐coated ultra small paramagnetic or superparamagnetic metal oxide nanoparticles with average particle diameters ( d av. ) that range from 1–3 nm has been developed and used in molecular magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The iron oxide, manganese oxide, and gadolinium oxide nanoparticles are coated with various hydrophilic and biocompatible ligands. We found that the ligand‐coated ultra small gadolinium oxide nanoparticles are the superior candidates for use as T 1 MRI contrast agents. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)