For the first time, functionalized magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) that form aggregates with a nanoflower morphology were synthesized using a rapid (11 s) one-step continuous hydrothermal process, which was recently modified, and their application as a T 2 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent was evaluated. The nanoparticles functionalized with 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (LDOPA) or 3,4-dihydroxyhydrocinnamic acid (DHCA) consisted of small crystallites of approximately 15 nm of diameter that assembled to form flower-shaped aggregate structures. The Fe3O4-LDOPA nanoflowers exhibited a high transverse relaxivity, r 2 of 418 ± 10 l mmolFe (-1) s(-1) at 3 T owing to magnetic dipolar interactions, which is twice as that of the commercial Feridex®/Endorem®. The prepared nanostructures were compared with bare Fe3O4 NPs and citrated Fe3O4 NPs. DHCA, LDOPA, and citric acid (CA) were found to have an anti-oxidizing effect and to influence the crystallite size and the lattice parameter of the NPs. DHCA and LDOPA increased the crystallite size, whereas CA decreased it. Surface modification increased the colloidal stability of NPs as compared to bare NPs. Nanoflower suspensions of Fe3O4-LDOPA NPs were found to be stable in the phosphate-buffered saline, saline medium, and minimal essential medium and formed aggregates of sizes smaller than 120 nm. All samples were found to be superparamagnetic in nature and the highest saturation magnetization was obtained for the Fe3O4-LDOPA samples. These NPs can bind to polymers such as PEG, and to fluorescent and chelating agents owing to the presence of free -NH2 or -COOH groups on the surface of NPs, allowing their use in dual imaging applications.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were developed as positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) bimodal imaging agents. These nanoparticles (NPs), with a specific nanoflower morphology, were first synthesized and simultaneously functionalized with 3,4-dihydroxy- l -phenylalanine (LDOPA) under continuous hydrothermal conditions. The resulting NPs exhibited a low hydrodynamic size of 90 ± 2 nm. The functional groups of LDOPA (−NH 2 and −COOH) were successfully used for the grafting of molecules of interest in a second step. The nanostructures were modified by poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and a new macrocyclic chelator MANOTA for further 64 Cu radiolabeling for PET imaging. The functionalized NPs showed promising bimodal (PET and MRI) imaging capability with high r 2 and r 2 * ( T 2 and T 2 * relaxivities) values and good stability. They were mainly uptaken from liver and kidneys. No cytotoxicity effect was observed. These NPs appear as a good candidate for bimodal tracers in PET/MRI.