Chitosan-coated, PtO2-Bi nanoparticles via one-step pulsed laser ablation for enhanced CT imaging

Minimizing contrast agent dosage without compromising computed tomography (CT) image quality is a critical challenge in radio diagnostics. Although iodine-based compounds like iohexol are the current standard, their required high injection volumes present considerable health risks. This study addresses this issue by synthesizing chitosan-coated bismuth-doped platinum oxide nanoparticles via pulsed laser ablation. Structural characterization revealed that bismuth doping induces lattice relaxation within the platinum nanostructure, specifically along the (200) and (101̅3) crystal planes. The chitosan-coated PtO 2 -Bi nanoparticles exhibited a zeta potential of −31.14 mV, indicating good colloidal stability suitable for homogeneous dispersion during CT imaging. In radiographic performance tests, the bismuth-doped nanoparticles (PtO 2 -Bi 1 ) achieved a contrast value of 75.21 Hounsfield Units (HU), outperforming both pure platinum nanoparticles (63.49 HU) and diluted iohexol (6.31 HU) at equivalent concentrations. These results underscore the potential of bismuth-platinum nanomaterials as high-efficacy contrast agents capable of operating at substantially reduced dosages.