Nanomaterials for hyperpolarized nuclear magnetic resonance and magnetic resonance imaging

Nanomaterials play an important role in the development and application of hyperpolarized materials for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this context they can not only act as hyperpolarized materials which are directly imaged but also play a role as carriers for hyperpolarized gases and catalysts for para-hydrogen induced polarization (PHIP) to generate hyperpolarized substrates for metabolic imaging. Those three application possibilities are discussed, focusing on carbon-based materials for the directly imaged particles. An overview over recent developments in all three fields is given, including the early developments in each field as well as important steps towards applications in MRI, such as making the initially developed methods more biocompatible and first imaging experiments with spatial resolution in either phantoms or in vivo studies. Focusing on the important features nanomaterials need to display to be applicable in the MRI context, a wide range of different approaches to that extent is covered, giving the reader a general idea of different possibilities as well as recent developments in those different fields of hyperpolarized magnetic resonance.This article is categorized under:Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging TechnologiesDiagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging

Automated summary

Nanomaterials are crucial in the development and application of hyperpolarized materials for MRI. They can function as both directly imaged hyperpolarized materials, carriers for hyperpolarized gases, and catalysts for generating hyperpolarized substrates. This article provides an overview of recent developments in these three application possibilities, highlighting carbon-based materials for direct imaging. The importance of nanomaterials in MRI is discussed, including their biocompatibility and imaging experiments.