Hyperpolarized Long-T1 Silicon Nanoparticles for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

TL;DR

This paper explores silicon nanoparticles with long T_1 relaxation times for MRI, demonstrating their potential as hyperpolarized imaging agents with surface functionalization for biological targeting.

Contribution

It introduces silicon nanoparticles with exceptionally long T_1 times suitable for MRI and details their surface functionalization for targeted imaging applications.

Findings

Silicon nanoparticles exhibit T_1 times from 100 to 10,000 seconds.

T_1 times align with core-shell diffusion model predictions.

Surface functionalization enables biological targeting.

Abstract

Silicon nanoparticles are experimentally investigated as a potential hyperpolarized, targetable MRI imaging agent. Nuclear T_1 times at room temperature for a variety of Si nanoparticles are found to be remarkably long (10^2 to 10^4 s) - roughly consistent with predictions of a core-shell diffusion model - allowing them to be transported, administered and imaged on practical time scales without significant loss of polarization. We also report surface functionalization of Si nanoparticles, comparable to approaches used in other biologically targeted nanoparticle systems.