Synthesis, Characterisation and Molecular Functionalisation of Gd2O3

Gadolinium-containing nanoparticles, e.g. Gd2O3, are a potential medical interest as a contrast agent in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), because Gd3+, having seven unpaired 4f-electrons, is strongly paramagnetic. As a contrast agent, gadolinium acts by reducing the T1 and T 2 relaxation times in NMR spectrometry. Gadolinium also have a very large cross-section for thermal neutrons and therefore migh