Polyethylenimine-Coated Ultrasmall Holmium Oxide Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization, Cytotoxicities, and Water Proton Spin Relaxivities

Shuwen Liu, Huan Yue, Son Long Ho, Soyeon Kim, Ji Ae Park, Tirusew Tegafaw, Mohammad Yaseen Ahmad, Seungho Kim, Abdullah Khamis Ali Al Saidi, Dejun Zhao, Ying Liu, Sung Wook Nam, Kwon Seok Chae, Yongmin Chang, Gang Ho Lee

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Water proton spin relaxivities, colloidal stability, and biocompatibility of nanoparticle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents depend on surface-coating ligands. In this study, hydrophilic and biocompatible polyethylenimines (PEIs) of different sizes (Mn = 1200 and 60,000 amu) were used as surface-coating ligands for ultrasmall holmium oxide (Ho2O3) nanoparticles. The synthesized PEI1200- and PEI60000-coated ultrasmall Ho2O3nanoparticles, with an average particle diameter of 2.05 and 1.90 nm, respectively, demonstrated low cellular cytotoxicities, good colloidal stability, and appreciable transverse water proton spin relaxivities (r2) of 13.1 and 9.9 s-1mM-1, respectively, in a 3.0 T MR field with negligible longitudinal water proton spin relaxivities (r1) (i.e., 0.1 s-1mM-1) for both samples. Consequently, for both samples, the dose-dependent contrast changes in the longitudinal (R1) and transverse (R2) relaxation rate map images were negligible and appreciable, respectively, indicating their potential as efficient transverse T2 MRI contrast agents in vitro.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1588
JournalNanomaterials
Volume12
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 May 2022

Keywords

  • cytotoxicity
  • Ho2O3
  • polyethylenimine coating
  • relaxivity
  • ultrasmall nanoparticle

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