Gd-Al co-doped mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ as a dual-modality probe for fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging.

Abstract

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were co-doped with Gd(3+) and Al(3+) and then loaded with Ru(bpy)3(2+) by ion-exchange to prepare Ru/Gd-Al@MSNs. The as-prepared Ru/Gd-Al@MSNs were applied as contrast agents for in vivo fluorescence and magnetic resonance (MR) dual-modality imaging with a mouse as a model. The effects of Al(3+) and MSNs on longitudinal relaxivity (r1) and fluorescence were investigated using a series of Gd-containing silica nanoparticles, including Gd@MSNs, Gd-Al@MSNs, and Ru/Gd-Al@nonporous silica nanoparticles. Co-doping with Al(3+) improved the loading of Gd(3+); the mesoporous structure improved the water exchange rate. The improvement enhanced the MR imaging efficiency of the Ru/Gd-Al@MSN probe. A higher relaxivity (19.2 mM(-1) s(-1)) was observed compared to that from a commercial contrast agent, Gd-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA). Importantly, the mesoporous structure provided a large specific surface area for the loading of Ru(bpy)3(2+) by a simple ion-exchange procedure. Intense red fluorescence was observed from Ru/Gd-Al@MSN probes. The versatility of Ru/Gd-Al@MSNs for dual-modality imaging was demonstrated using in vivo fluorescence imaging and T1-weighted MR imaging with a mouse model. The nanoparticles are biocompatible and may be attractive for clinical applications.