Synthesis and Evaluation of Core-Shell Copper-Ferrite Nanoparticles as Negative Contrast Agents in Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Rezvan, Motahareh; Aghamaali, Mahmoudreza; Molaabasi, مطهره; Riazi, Gholam Hossein

Synthesis and Evaluation of Core-Shell Copper-Ferrite Nanoparticles as Negative Contrast Agents in Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

Motahareh Rezvan ¹

Mahmoudreza Aghamaali ¹

مطهره Molaabasi ²

Gholam Hossein Riazi ³

¹ Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.

² Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Research Group, Department of Interdisciplinary Technologies, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran ,Iran

³ Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have emerged as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) due to their high porosity and adjustable structure, serving as drug carriers and new contrast agents in biomedicine. Designing efficient nanoplatforms that leverage the combined properties of both MNPs and MOFs is of great importance.

In this study, we introduce a simple in-situ synthesis method for a mesopore core-shell nanocomposite structure of MOF@Cu-ferrite. Initially, Cu-ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized using a hydrothermal method. Subsequently, the addition of fumaric acid to the Cu-ferrite nanoparticles activated the F0 component, inducing MOF nucleation. As a result, the Cu-ferrite core was gradually covered with a crystalline MOF shell, forming the MOF@Cu-ferrite structure. The MOF@Cu-ferrite nanocomposite is characterized by high porosity, numerous accessible surface functional sites, good crystalline stability, low toxicity of copper, excellent water dispersion, high magnetic properties, and cost-effectiveness. This study investigates the effect of the MOF@Cu-ferrite nanocomposite on the MRI signal intensity. T2-weighted images were obtained using MRI scanner at various iron concentrations of the magnetic nanocomposite, showing a significant change in signal intensity with increasing iron concentration. The transverse relaxivity rate (r2) for different iron concentrations was found to be 504.7 mM^-1s^-1. The results showed that Cu-ferrite magnetic nanoparticles coated with MOF have significant potential as negative contrast agents in MRI, reducing T2 relaxation time and improve contrast intensity in MR images.

Keywords

Copper-ferrite magnetic nanoparticle

T2 contrast agent

Magnetic resonance imaging

Subjects

Nanotechnology

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