PEG-Coated Superparamagnetic Dysprosium-Doped Fe3O4 Nanoparticles for Potential MRI Imaging

In recent years, superparamagnetic nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted considerable attention due to their high potential for biomedical applications. This study describes a facile preparation method of superparamagnetic polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated dysprosium-doped Fe3O4 NPs for potential magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications. The structure, morphology, and magnetic properties of the dysprosium-doped Fe3O4 NPs were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and quantum design vibrating sample magnetometer (QD-VSM), respectively. The MRI imaging ability of the dysprosium-doped Fe3O4 NPs was assessed using a 1.5-T small animal MRI scanner. In addition, pilot studies were performed to examine the toxicity of the PEG-coated dysprosium-doped Fe3O4 NPs. The obtained results suggested that prepared NPs could be used for potential T-2-weighted MRI imaging.