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Precise synthesis of discrete and dispersible carbon-protected magnetic nanoparticles for efficient magnetic resonance imaging and photothermal therapy

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Abstract

Carbon-protected magnetic nanoparticles exhibit long-term stability in acid or alkaline medium, good biocompatibility, and high saturation magnetization. As a result, they hold great promise for magnetic resonance imaging, photothermal therapy, etc. However, since pyrolysis, which is often required to convert the carbon precursors to carbon, typically leads to coalescence of the nanoparticles, the obtained carbon-protected magnetic nanoparticles are usually sintered as a non-dispersible aggregation. We have successfully synthesized discrete, dispersible, and uniform carbon-protected magnetic nanoparticles via a precise surface/interface nano-engineering approach. Remarkably, the nanoparticles possess excellent water-dispersibility, biocompatibility, a high T 2 relaxivity coefficient (384 mM–1·s–1), and a high photothermal heating effect. Furthermore, they can be used as multifunctional core components suited for future extended investigation in early diagnosis, detection and therapy, catalysis, separation, and magnetism.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemical, Environmental and Biological Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China

    An-Hui Lu, Xiang-Qian Zhang & Qiang Sun

  2. Dalian Medical University affiliated No.1 Hospital, Dalian, 116021, China

    Yan Zhang & Qingwei Song

  3. Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, D-45470, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany

    Ferdi Schüth

  4. CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China and Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Chunying Chen

  5. State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China

    Fang Cheng

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  1. An-Hui Lu
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  2. Xiang-Qian Zhang
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  3. Qiang Sun
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  4. Yan Zhang
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  5. Qingwei Song
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  6. Ferdi Schüth
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  7. Chunying Chen
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  8. Fang Cheng
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Correspondence to An-Hui Lu, Yan Zhang or Ferdi Schüth.

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Lu, AH., Zhang, XQ., Sun, Q. et al. Precise synthesis of discrete and dispersible carbon-protected magnetic nanoparticles for efficient magnetic resonance imaging and photothermal therapy. Nano Res. 9, 1460–1469 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-016-1042-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-016-1042-9

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