Single-Atom Gadolinium Anchored on Graphene Quantum Dots as a Magnetic Resonance Signal Amplifier

A single-atom metal doped on carbonaceous nanomaterials has attracted increasing attention due to its potential applications as high-performance catalysts. However, few studies focus on the applications of such nanomaterials as nanotheranostics for simultaneous bioimaging and cancer therapy. Herein, it is pioneeringly demonstrated that the single-atom Gd anchored onto graphene quantum dots (SAGd-GQDs), with dendrite-like morphology, was successfully prepared. More importantly, the as-fabricated SAGd-GQDs exhibits a robustly enhanced longitudinal relaxivity (r(1) = 86.08 mM(-1) s(-1)) at a low Gd3+ concentration of 2 mu mol kg(-1), which is 25 times higher than the commercial Gd-DTPA (r(1) = 3.44 mM(-1) s(-1)). In vitro and in vivo studies suggest that the obtained SAGd-GQDs is a highly potent and contrast agent to obtain high-definition MRI, thereby opening up more opportunities for future precise clinical theranostics.

Automated summary

This study demonstrated the successful preparation of single-atom anchored graphene quantum dots, showing superior performance as a contrast agent in MRI and providing more opportunities for future precise clinical theranostics.