Gadolinium-doped carbon dots with long-wavelength emission for dual-modal imaging

Efimova A.A., Badrieva Z.F., Brui E.A., Miruschenko M.D., Aleinik I.А., Mitroshin A.М., Volina O.V., Koroleva A.V., Zhizhin E.V., Stepanidenko E.A., Ushakova, E.V.

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Publication in Journal of Optical Technology

For Russian citation (Opticheskii Zhurnal):

Ефимова А.А., Бадриева З.Ф., Бруй Е.А., Мирущенко М.Д., Алейник И.А., Митрошин А.М., Волина О.В., Королева А.В., Жижин Е.В., Степаниденко Е.А., Ушакова Е.В. Легированные гадолинием углеродные точки с излучением в длинноволновой области спектра для двухмодальной визуализации // Оптический журнал. 2024. Т. 91. № 6. С. 5–17. http://doi.org/ 10.17586/1023-5086-2024-91-06-5-17

Efimova A.A., Badrieva Z.F., Brui E.A., Miruschenko M.D., Aleinik I.A., Mitroshin A.M., Volina O.V., Koroleva A.V., Zhizhin E.V., Stepanidenko E.A., Ushakova E.V. Gadolinium-doped carbon dots with long-wavelength emission for dual-modal imaging // Opticheskii Zhurnal. 2024. V. 91. № 6. P. 5–17. http://doi.org/ 10.17586/1023-5086-2024-91-06-5-17

For citation (Journal of Optical Technology):

Arina A. Efimova, Zilya F. Badrieva, Ekaterina A. Brui, Mikhail D. Miruschenko, Ivan A. Aleinik, Alexander M. Mitroshin, Olga V. Volina, Aleksandra V. Koroleva, Evgeniy V. Zhizhin, Evgeniia A. Stepanidenko, and Elena V. Ushakova, "Gadolinium-doped carbon dots with long-wavelength emission for dual-modal imaging," Journal of Optical Technology. 91(6), 362-369 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1364/JOT.91.000362

Abstract:

Subject of study. Luminescent carbon dots derived from o-phenylenediamine and gadolinium chloride or nitrate hexahydrate. Aim of study. Fabrication of gadolinium-doped carbon dots with long-wavelength photoluminescence with the properties of a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging; study of the impact of the precursor type used on the chemical composition and optical transitions of the resulting nanoparticles. Method. Carbon dots were synthesized by a one-step solvothermal method. To study the composition and optical properties, spectroscopy methods were used. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed using a clinical magnetic resonance imaging scanner with a field 1.5 T. Main results. In this work, two types of carbon dots were synthesized from o-phenylenediamine and gadolinium chloride or nitrate hexahydrate by a solvothermal method. It has been established that metal doping in a concentration sufficient for further research occurs only with the use of gadolinium chloride. In addition, the presence of gadolinium chloride during the synthesis leads to the formation of luminescent centers within carbon dots with emission at 600–720 nm and photoluminescence quantum yield of 6.3%. The use of gadolinium nitrate results in an increase in the nitrogen content of o-phenylenediamine-based carbon nanoparticles, but metal doping does not occur. The luminescent band with an emission maximum at 550 nm and photoluminescence quantum yield of 7.4% is originated from the formation of o-phenylenediamine derivatives in such carbon dots. It is shown that the resulting gadolinium-doped carbon dots change relaxation times during magnetic resonance scanning; the relaxivities r1 and r2 were calculated to be 6.4 and 38.6 l х mmol^–1х s^–1, respectively. It has been established that during magnetic resonance scanning the synthesized carbon dots act as a positive contrast agent. Practical significance. Carbon dots with long-wavelength emission are promising as nanoprobes for luminescence imaging. Doping with gadolinium has made it possible to expand the scope of application; the developed nanoparticles can also be used as a contrast agent during magnetic resonance imaging. Thus, o-phenylenediamine and gadolinium chloride hexahydrate-based carbon dots can be further used as a dual-modal nanoprobe for bioimaging.

Keywords:

carbon points, long-wavelength photoluminescence, luminescent imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, contrast media

Acknowledgements:

the paper was supported financially by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) No. 22.73.00090, https://rscf.ru/project/22-73-00090/. Part of the work related to MRI experiments was supported by state assignment No. FSER-2022–0010 within the framework of the national project “Science and Universities”

OCIS codes: 160.2540, 160.4236, 170.3880, 170.4580, 300.6280

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