Metal Chelating Crosslinkers Form Nanogels with High Chelation Stability.

ABSTRACT: We present a series of hydrogel nanoparticles (nanogels) incorporating either acyclic or cyclic metal chelates as crosslinkers. These crosslinkers are used to formulate polyacrylamide-based nanogels (diameter 50 to 85 nm) yielding contrast agents with enhanced relaxivities (up to 6-fold greater than Dotarem®), because this nanogel structure slows the chelator's tumbling frequency and allows fast water exchange. Importantly, these nanogels also stabilize Gd³⁺ within the chelator thermodynamically and kinetically against metal displacement through transmetallation, which should reduce toxicity associated with release of free Gd³⁺. This chelation stability suggests that the chelate crosslinker strategy may prove useful for other applications of metal-chelating nanopartic

SUBMITTER: Lux J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3910426 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature