. . . . . . . . . .    ANM 2010     3rd International Conference on Advanced Nano Materials     12-15 September 2010 - Agadir, Morocco Back    Abstract ANMM271 SUPERPARAMAGNETIC FERRITE NANOPARTICLES AS CONTRAST AGENTS FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) A. Hamed & G. Harris Department of Physics, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK  . Magnetic nanoparticles are becoming progressively more important for a number of biomedical applications ranging from drug delivery and tissue repairs to hyperthermia and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Certain metal oxides such as ferrites possess super-paramagnetic properties with potential for cell labelling agents for both a preclinical and clinical settings. In this work, sol-gel methods are used to manufacture nanocrystallites of spinel ferrites to be utilized as MRI contrast agent.  Nanocrystallites of magnetic composites such as Fe3O4, ZnCr2O4 and ZnFe2O4 have been widely studied but there is not much literature reported about the ZnCrFeO4 composite. In this study, the ideal spinel ferrite nanoparticles and high quality crystals with perfect in both shape and size (10 nm) were obtained.  In order to control the size and the shape of the super paramagnetic nanoparticles, a two stage annealing process was utilised.  Nanoparticles were analyzed by electron microscopy including transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the crystal structure of nanoparticles were studied using X-ray diffractometer. Subsequent to manufacture, the nanoparticles are coated with a bio-compatible coating of Meso-2, 3-Dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), this strategy is necessary to prevent nanoparticles aggregation, as well as to form a stable suspension in a ferrofluid carrier.  The coated and uncoated nanoparticles are analyzed with regard to size, dispersion, toxicity and magnetic properties. . © nanoAC . . . . . . . . . .

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