Template-free synthesis of nanoporous gadolinium phosphonate as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agent

Abstract

A new series of organic–inorganic hybrid porous gadolinium phosphonate (GdP) materials have been synthesized using benzene-1,3,5-triphosphonic acid as a phosphonic acid linker through a simple hydrothermal technique. The particle size and morphology are well controlled through the selection of suitable reaction conditions. The obtained materials exhibit very high specific surface area and crystalline pore walls with a triclinic structure having unit cell parameters a = 7.76 (3) Å; b = 8.60 (6) Å; c = 14.09 (7) Å; α = 100.08 (4)°; β = 84.23 (6)°; γ = 116.29 (6)°. The obtained GdP materials are further used as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent with r₁ and r₂ values of 2.6 and 4.7 s⁻¹ mM⁻¹, respectively.