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18kT
s
H
dM
dH
H0
(1)
where
s
is the specific magnetisation of the iron oxides, with a value of 89.9 emu/g (Fe
3
O
4
) [3]. The
size of small particles, oriented at a high magnetic field, can be determined as [4]
D
2
6kT
s
H
M
S
M
S
MH
1/3
(2)
Thus, two values of D
1
50 and D
2
27 were obtained for the coated Fe
3
O
4
nanoparticles,
respectively. All methods give a mean particle size of 26 nm, in agreement with the value for
Figure 1. The pH-pe predominance diagram of Fe-Cl-H
2
O system at 25C.
SUPERPARAMAGNETIC IRON OXIDE 1714 Vol. 44, Nos. 8/9
superparamagnetic Fe
3
O
4
nanoparticles as reported by others [4]. Differences between the particle size
determined by TEM and that by magnetization measurements, can be assumed to be due to the
surfactant layer coated on Fe
3
O
4
particles. The thickness is thus 12 nm. The surfactant-coated layer
can be considered as a magnetically dead layer at the surface, thus affecting the uniformity or magnitude
of magnetization due to quenching of surface moments.
The magnetic field dependence of the magnetization of coated Fe
3
O
4
nanoparticles is shown Fig. 2.
Above the blocking temperature (T
B
), the thermal fluctuation energy (k
B
T) is larger than the uniaxial
anisotropy energy (KV) because the critical volume is larger than magnetic moment of all particles sizes
for that temperature are magnetically frozen along their anisotropy axes. The high temperature regime,
assuming it as an equilibrium state, the magnetic susceptibility follows a Curie-Weiss law [5].
For MRI studying, two procedures were used for administrating the particles. The first procedure
was carried out outside the magnet and the recording was performed one hour after injection. The
second procedures in the scanner recording were made during the injection and repeatedly thereafter.
Procedure one: The well anaesthetized rat was adapted in a stereotaxic frame and a small hole, 0.5 mm
in diameter, was made in the skull bone using a dental drill. The bone was gently removed and the dura
mater was free visible without any haemorrage. A small glass micro capillary pipette was stereotaxi-
cally inserted through the dura mater into the superficial layer of brain parenchyma and into the dorsal
part of hippocampus. The capillary was filled with the iron oxide particle solution and connected to a
micro syringe before inserted into the brain. A volume of 1 l was injected at a speed of 1 l per min
and the pipette was thereafter slowly retracted during one minute. In the other procedure the glass
capillary was fixed in position to the skull bone by dental cement. As soon as the cement was dry the
rats were transferred to a MR compatible, purpose built, stereotaxic holder and positioned in the MR
scanner for recording. The location of the capillary was traced using a number of scout images and a
coronal slice was placed through the tip of the capillary before injection.
Figure 2. Magnetization vs applied magnetic field for Fe
3
O
4
nanoparticles coated with polyoxyethylene (10) oleyl ether.
SUPERPARAMAGNETIC IRON OXIDE 1715 Vol. 44, Nos. 8/9
In Fig. 3, the images of Panel B were recorded using the same parameters as those of panel A but
one hour after the injection. The superparamagnetic Fe
3
O
4
nanoparticles interfered in such a way that
the signal intensity was decreased to zero, shown as a black region on the images. As seen, Fe
3
O
4
nanoparticles spread into the ventricular system, especially in the lateral ventricles shown by the images
B1 and B2 in Fig 3. The images of Panel C were recorded at the same position as A and B but using
a gradient echo sequence instead which enhance the susceptibility effect from the injected nanopar-
ticles. This effect in this case was so strong that the morphology was lost in the image. When spinning
magnet of Fe
3
O
4
nanoparticles was placed in a strong magnetic field, it started processing around it just
as a spinning top processes about the vertical axis before falling. The fluid in rat brain was detected by
making the hydrogen nuclei present in the water molecules under strong magnetic field. The intensity
difference of energy radiation between fluid in rat brain and injected superparamagnetic Fe
3
O
4
nanoparticles was shown by different darkness in images.
Conclusion
Nonionic surfactant (polyoxyethylene (10) oleyl ether) coated superparamagnetic Fe
3
O
4
nanoparticles
with narrow size distribution were prepared by chemical coprecipitation method as a diagnostic tracer
for MRI imaging. The MRI results have indicated that these nanoparticles have a superparamagnetic
property that is detectable in an MRI scanner, thus to be a suitable substrate for MR contrast agents.
Furthermore, the small size of the nanoparticles makes it possible for them to be selectively transported
through, or target to, the nanosized intercellular space in the living brain. Thus, these results open the
possibility for using these superparamagnetic Fe
3
O
4
nanoparticles as selective MRI contrast agents or
in drug delivery.
Acknowledgments
This work has been supported by Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF-6711) and Swedish
Research Council for Engineering Sciences (TFR).
Figure 3. The three panels show the rostro-caudal projection of coronal slices true the rat brain before injection (panel A) and
one hour after injection of 1 l of Fe
3
O
4
nanoparticles (panel B) visualized by using a RARE sequence and in panel C using a
GEFI sequence. The dark regions in the brain indicate the localization of the iron particles.
SUPERPARAMAGNETIC IRON OXIDE 1716 Vol. 44, Nos. 8/9
References
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2. Y. S. Kang, S Risbud, J. F. Rabolt, and P. Stroeve, Chem. Mater. 8, 2209 (1996).
3. S. Chikazumi, in Physics of Magnetism, ed. J. Wilely. p. 100, Krieger (1964).
4. R. Massart, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-17, 1247 (1981).
5. G. A. Sawatsky, F. van der Woude, and A. H. Morrish, J .Appl. Phys. 39, 1204 (1968).
SUPERPARAMAGNETIC IRON OXIDE 1717 Vol. 44, Nos. 8/9