Graphene oxide-Fe3O4 nanoparticle composite with high transverse proton relaxivity value for magnetic resonance imaging

• Published in: Journal of applied physics 2015-04, Vol.117 (15)
• Main Authors: Venkatesha, N., Poojar, Pavan, Qurishi, Yasrib, Geethanath, Sairam, Srivastava, Chandan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied physics; Biocompatibility; Chemical synthesis; Composite materials; Graphene; Image contrast; Image enhancement; Iron oxides; Magnetic properties; Magnetic resonance imaging; Nanoparticles; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Protons; Reduction; Sheets; Structural analysis; Toxicity
• ISSN: 0021-8979; 1089-7550
• DOI: 10.1063/1.4918605

The potential of graphene oxide–Fe3O4 nanoparticle (GO-Fe3O4) composite as an image contrast enhancing material in magnetic resonance imaging has been investigated. Proton relaxivity values were obtained in three different homogeneous dispersions of GO-Fe3O4 composites synthesized by precipitating Fe3O4 nanoparticles in three different reaction mixtures containing 0.01 g, 0.1 g, and 0.2 g of graphene oxide. A noticeable difference in proton relaxivity values was observed between the three cases. A comprehensive structural and magnetic characterization revealed discrete differences in the extent of reduction of the graphene oxide and spacing between the graphene oxide sheets in the three composites. The GO-Fe3O4 composite framework that contained graphene oxide with least extent of reduction of the carboxyl groups and largest spacing between the graphene oxide sheets provided the optimum structure for yielding a very high transverse proton relaxivity value. It was found that the GO-Fe3O4 composites possessed good biocompatibility with normal cell lines, whereas they exhibited considerable toxicity towards breast cancer cells.