Water‐dispersible Gadolinium Oxide Nanoplates as an Effective Positive Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agent

AbstractGadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoplates have been successfully synthesized by thermal decomposition method in the presence of oleic acid and oleylamine as surfactants. As a result, the nanoplates have average edge length and thickness around 10 nm and 1.1 nm, respectively. The hydrophobic OA/OM capped Gd2O3 nanoplates were encapsulated with amphiphilic poly (maleic anhydride‐alt‐1‐octadecene) polymer (PMAO) for phase transfer into aqueous media. The obtained Gd2O3@PMAO showed a hydrodynamic size of 32 nm with good dispersion in water solvent and stable in wide range of pH (pH=2÷11) and at electrolyte concentrations as high as NaCl 380 mM. In addition, the in vitro toxicity tests confirmed the biocompatibility of Gd2O3@PMAO nanoplates. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) result exhibited the r1 of Gd2O3@PMAO nanoplates (16.95 mM−1s−1) is four times higher than that of clinically used Gd‐DTPA. These results suggest that the PMAO coated ‐Gd2O3 nanoplates are potential T1 contrast agents for in vivo MRI application.