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Uniform iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles have been synthesized using a microwave assisted synthesis method in organic media and their colloidal, magnetic, and relaxometric properties have been analyzed after its transference to water and compared with those nanoparticles prepared by thermal decomposition in organic media. The novelty of this synthesis relies on the use of a solid iron oleate as precursor, which assures the reproducibility and scalability of the synthesis, and the microwave heating that resulted in being faster and more efficient than traditional heating methods, and therefore it has a great potential for nanoparticle industrial production. The effect of different experimental conditions such as the solvent, precursor, and surfactant concentration and reaction time as well as the transference to water is analyzed and optimized to obtain magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with sizes between 8 and 15 nm and finally colloids suitable for their use as contrast agents on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The r 2 relaxivity values normalized to the square of the saturation magnetization were shown to be constant and independent of the particle size, which means that the saturation magnetization is the main parameter controlling the efficiency of these magnetic nanoparticles as MRI T 2 -contrast agents.

To determine with precision how Bi atoms are distributed in Bi-doped iron oxide nanoparticles their structural characterization has been carried out by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) recorded at the K edge of Fe and at the L3 edge of Bi. The inorganic nanoparticles are nominally hybrid structures integrating an iron oxide core and a bismuth oxide shell. Fe K-edge XAS indicates the formation of a structurally ordered, non-stoichiometric magnetite (Fe3-δO4) phase for all the nanoparticles. The XAS spectra show that, in the samples synthesized by precipitation in aqueous media and laser pyrolysis, the Bi atoms neither enter into the iron oxide spinel lattice nor form any other mixed Bi-Fe oxides. No modification of the local structure around the Fe atoms induced by the Bi atoms is observed at the Fe K edge. In addition, contrary to expectations, our results indicate that the Bi atoms do not form a well-defined Bi oxide structure. The XAS study at the Bi L3 edge indicates that the environment around Bi atoms is highly disordered and only a first oxygen coordination shell is observed. Indefinite [BiO6-x(OH)x] units (isolated or aggregated forming tiny amorphous clusters) bonded through hydroxyl bridges to the nanoparticle, rather than a well defined Bi2O3 shell, surround the nanoparticle. On the other hand, the XAS study indicates that, in the samples synthesized by thermal decomposition, the Bi atoms are embedded in a longer range ordered structure showing the first and second neighbors.

The influence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) grafting on the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and elimination of iron oxide nanoparticles is studied in this work. Magnetite nanoparticles (12 nm) were obtained via thermal decomposition of an iron coordination complex as a precursor. Particles were coated with meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) and conjugated to PEG-derived molecules by 1-ethyl-3-[3-dimethylaminopropyl]carbodiimide (EDC) chemistry. Using a rat model, we explored the nanoparticle biodistribution pattern in blood and in different organs (liver, spleen and lungs) after intravenous administration of the product. The time of residence in blood was measured from the evolution of water proton relaxivities with time and Fe analysis in blood samples. The results showed that the residence time was doubled for PEG coated nanoparticles and consequently particle accumulation in liver and spleen was reduced. Post-mortem histological analyses showed no alterations in the liver and confirm heterogeneous distribution of NPs in the organ, in agreement with magnetic measurements and iron analysis. Finally, by successive magnetic resonance images we studied the evolution of contrast in the liver and measured the absorption, time of residence and excretion of nanoparticles in the liver during a one month period. On the basis of these results we propose different metabolic routes that determine the fate of magnetic nanoparticles.

Physicochemical and magnetorelaxometric characterization of the colloidal suspensions consisting of Fe-based nanoparticles coated with dextran have been carried out. Iron oxide and iron core/iron oxide shell nanoparticles were obtained by laser-induced pyrolysis of Fe(CO)5 vapours. Under different magnetic field strengths, the colloidal suspension formed by iron oxide nanoparticles showed longitudinal (R1) and transverse (R2) nuclear magnetic relaxation suspension (NMRD) profiles, similar to those previously reported for other commercial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. However, colloidal suspension formed by ferromagnetic iron-core nanoparticles showed a strong increase of the R1 values at low applied magnetic fields and a strong increase of the R2 measured at high applied magnetic field. This behaviour was explained considering the larger magnetic aggregate size and saturation magnetization values measured for this sample, 92 nm and 31 emu/g Fe, respectively, with respect to those measured for the colloidal suspensions of iron oxide nanoparticles (61 nm and 23 emu/g Fe). This suspension can be used both as T1 and T2 contrast agent.

Carbon encapsulated iron/iron-oxide nanoparticles were obtained using laser pyrolysis method. The powders were processed to produce stable and biocompatible colloidal aqueous dispersions. The synthesis method consisted in the laser decomposition of an aerosol of ferrocene solution in toluene. This process generated, in a continuous way and in a single step, a nanocomposite formed by amorphous carbon nanoparticles of 50-100 nm size in which isolated iron based nanoparticles of 3-10 nm size are located. The effect of using different carriers and additives was explored in order to improve the efficiency of the process. The samples after purification by solid-liquid extraction with toluene, were oxidised in concentrated nitric acid solution of sodium chlorate, washed and finally ultrasonically dispersed in 1 mM tri-sodium citrate solutions. The dispersions obtained have hydrodynamic particle size less than 150 nm and are stable in the pH range of 2-11. Finally the shortening of the transversal relaxation time of water protons produced by the dispersed particles was studied in order to test the feasibility of these systems to be traced by magnetic resonance imaging techniques.

Pharmaceutical grade magnetic colloidal dispersions have been prepared from iron alloys synthesized by laser pyrolysis. The colloids were obtained by simultaneous dispersion and coating of the particles with dextran in a strong alkaline solution. Both powders and dispersions have been analyzed in terms of microstructural characteristics, chemical composition and magnetic properties. The powders consist of uniform spherical nanoparticles (12 nm of diameter) showing a metallic core encapsulated into an iron-oxide shell. On the other hand, the colloidal dispersions consist of magnetic particles-aggregates with hydrodynamic sizes of approximately 75 nm. Magnetic resonance images of rats were taken after the intravenously administration of the Fe colloidal dispersions, and compared with those obtained using a commercial iron oxide magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent. The results showed a contrast improvement of 60% in the liver with respect to the commercial sample, which suggests that this product could be a suitable contrast agent for NMR imaging of liver and spleen.