Magnetic Resonance Imaging and X-Ray Imaging Properties of Ultrasmall Lanthanide Oxide (Ln = Eu, Gd, and Tb) Nanoparticles Synthesized via Thermal Decomposition
Owing to their 4f electrons and high atomic numbers, lanthanide (Ln) elements impart lanthanide oxide (Ln<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) nanoparticles with excellent biomedical imaging properties. This study reports synthesis for three types of ultrasmall and monodisperse Ln<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> nanoparticles (Ln = Eu, Gd, and Tb) via thermal decomposition in oleylamine at 280 °C, followed by ligand exchange with citric acid (CA) to produce water-dispersible, CA-grafted Ln<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> nanoparticles with high colloidal stability. The resulting CA-grafted Ln<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> nanoparticles had average diameters of approximately 2 nm. We characterized their physicochemical properties, including in vitro cytotoxicity, magnetic resonance imaging properties (i.e., water proton spin relaxivities), and X-ray imaging properties (i.e., X-ray attenuation).
Authors
- Endale Mulugeta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2869-0934)
- Ji Ae Park (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6109-802X)
- Tirusew Tegafaw
- Son Long Ho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7175-246X)
- Ahrum Baek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6941-8259)
- Huan Yue (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0482-511X)
- Hansol D. Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2091-776X)
- Gang Ho Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7451-6366)
- Yongmin Chang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0585-8714)
- Dejun Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0785-049X)
- Shuwen Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6346-5006)
- Jihyun Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5119-6627)
- Ji-ung Yang
- Ying Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2826-6536)
- Dabin Ahn
- Xiaoran Chen
Institutions
- Kyungpook National University (KR)
- Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Molecules
- Published
- 2025-06-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30122519
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Lanthanide and Transition Metal Complexes
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.55
Funders
- National Research Foundation
- National Research Foundation of Korea
- Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea