Ya-Han Yang1,
Fang-Hsin Lin1, Yi-Tzu Lu1, Ruey-An Doong1,
Hsu-Hsia Peng1
1Department
of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua
University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Au-Fe3O4 heterostructures have been used as bifunctional probes for optical imaging and MRI. The aim of this study is to investigate the morphological effect on MRI relaxivity for pure Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs), 5 nm Au dumbbell-like NPs (mAu DBNPs), 10 nm Au dumbbell-like NPs (LAu DBNPs), and 10 nm Au flower-like NPs (LAu FLNPs). The mAu DBNPs showed stronger r2 relaxivity than that of LAu DBNPs and LAu FLNPs exhibited higher relaxivity than that of LAu DBNPs, demonstrating the morphological effect on MR relaxivity. Therefore, to manufacture proper configurations of heterostructures are able to enhance T2 contrast in MRI applications.