Nanoprobes based on quantum dots and Gd(III) complexes for dual optical and magnetic resonance imaging

The combination of more than one clinical technique has been increasingly explored to improve imaging diagnosis, suppressing the limitations of individual procedures. Quantum dots (QDs) have been associated with paramagnetic complexes (GdDOTA) to develop optical-magnetic nanoprobes for imaging techniques. Herein, we report the preparation of bimodal nanoprobes by conjugating fluorescent QDs with GdDOTA complexes through dative bonds. These nanoprobes showed an enhancement in their emission intensity compared to bare QDs. Moreover, the nanosystems exhibited r1 values up to 69% higher than the clinical GdDOTA. Therefore, the bimodal systems demonstrated promising performance for both optical and magnetic resonance imaging, exhibiting potential as bimodal contrast agents.