Nanoscale metal-organic frameworks as potential multimodal contrast enhancing agents

Nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (NMOFs) based on Gd³⁺ centers and benzenedicarboxylate and benzenetricarboxylate bridging ligands were synthesized using reverse microemulsions and characterized using SEM, PXRD, and TGA. These NMOFs exhibit extraordinarily large R1 and R2 relaxivities because of the presence of up to tens of millions of Gd³⁺ centers in each nanoparticle and are thus efficient T1 and T2 contrast agents for MRI. The NMOFs can also be made highly luminescent by doping with Eu³⁺ or Tb³⁺ centers. The results from this work suggest that NMOFs can be used as potential contrast agents for multimodal imaging.