Relaxometric, Optical and Cell Viability Properties of D-Glucuronic Acid Coated Cr2O3 Nanoparticles.

D-glucuronic acid-coated ultrasmall chromium oxide (Cr2O3) nanoparticles were synthesized by a one-pot polyol method and their relaxometric and optical properties were investigated. The as-synthesized D-glucuronic acid-coated nanoparticles were amorphous owing to ultrasmall particle diameters (davg = 2.0 nm), whereas orthorhombic Cr2O3 nanoparticles with two size groups (davg = 3.6 and 5.7 nm) were observed after thermogravimetric analysis (900 °C) as a result of particle growth. The nanoparticles exhibited size-dependent UV-visible absorption maxima at 238, 274, and 372 nm with increasing particle diameter, corresponding to band gaps of 5.13, 4.45, and 3.28 eV, respectively. D-glucuronic acid-coated ultrasmall Cr2O3 nanoparticles revealed low water proton relaxivities of r1 = 0.05 s-1mM-1 and r2 = 0.20 s-1mM-1, consistent with the antiferromagnetic property of Cr2O3. They showed good biocompatibility up to 500 µM of Cr.

Stable and non-toxic ultrasmall gadolinium oxide nanoparticle colloids (coating material = polyacrylic acid) as high-performance T 1 magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents.

For use as positive (T 1) magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents (MRI-CAs), gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticle colloids (i.e. nanoparticles coated with hydrophilic ligands) should be stable, non-toxic, and ultrasmall in particle diameter for renal excretion. In addition, they should have a high longitudinal water proton relaxivity (r 1) and r 2/r 1 ratio that is close to one (r 2 = transverse water proton relaxivity) for high-performance. In this study, we report ultrasmall Gd2O3 nanoparticle colloids [coating material = polyacrylic acid, M w = ∼5100 Da] satisfying these conditions. The particle diameter was monodisperse with an average value of 2.0 ± 0.1 nm. The colloidal suspension exhibited a high r 1 value of 31.0 ± 0.1 s-1 mM-1 and r 2/r 1 ratio of 1.2, where r 1 was ∼8 times higher than that of commercial Gd-chelates: the cooperative induction model was proposed to explain this. The effectiveness of the colloidal suspension as a high-performance T 1 MRI-CA was confirmed by taking in vivo T 1 MR images in a mouse after intravenous administration. Highly positive contrast enhancements were observed in various organs of the mouse such as the liver, kidneys, and bladder. The colloidal suspension was then excreted through the bladder.