Les nanoparticules de fer manufacturées (NPs-Fe) sont des matériaux de taille nanométrique dont l’utilisation s’est, depuis peu, étendue à des domaines environnementaux. Leur dispersion dans les milieux aqueux et solides, et leurs interactions avec le vivant soulèvent toutefois encore de nombreuses questions. Dans la première partie de cette étude, nous conduisons un travail approfondi de caractérisation des NPs-Fe et précisons comment ces propriétés sont impliquées dans les processus contrôlant la stabilité colloïdale puis la réactivité chimique (capacité d’adsorption du cuivre) des NPs-Fe en solution aqueuse. Des modifications à la fois surfaciques et cristallochimiques sont appliquées afin de mettre en évidence le rôle clés de la chimie de surface des NPs-Fe. Dans cette étude, il est montré que les acides humiques limitent l’agrégation des NPs-Fe et procurent des sites d’adsorption pour les métaux. Les conditions physico-chimiques du milieu s’avèrent également jouer un rôle crucial. Le pH modifie notamment la charge de surface des NPs-Fe et les forces d’interactions électrostatiques qui en résultent. Dans un deuxième temps, nous étudions les interactions entre les NPs-Fe et les végétaux, en solution puis dans un sol. Après 63 et 57 jours, les mesures de susceptibilité magnétique montrent que les NPs-Fe s’accumulent au niveau des racines avant d’être transloquées, en moindre quantité, dans les parties aériennes des plantes. La réponse des plantes à l’exposition aux NPs-Fe se traduit par une augmentation de la biomasse végétale et des teneurs en chlorophylles et une diminution de la peroxydation lipidique. / Engineered Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (IONPs) are specific nanoscale materials that have recently been used into wide environmental applications. The dispersion of IONPs into soils and waters, as well as their interactions with living organisms, raise many scientific issues. The first part of this work is intended to provide a thorough characterization of IONPs in aqueous solution, from their intrinsic physico-chemical properties to their colloidal behavior and chemical reactivity. Surface modifications are applied to evidence the key role of surface chemistry towards most interactions IONPs encounter. In particular, humic acid reduce NPs-Fe aggregation and display a high adsorption capacity for trace metals, especially copper (Cu).On the other hand, the pH of the solution play a critical role towards NPs-Fe interactions. Depending on the pH, the surface charge of the particles are modified and hence pH is involved in the electrostatic forces that drive the particles aggregation state and contribute to metal adsorption. The second part of the study is focused on the interactions occurring with IONPs in presence of plants. Several experiments are conducted in aqueous solution and in soil columns to precise the impacts of IONPs on the growth medium and to assess the effects of IONPs on plants. Results (magnetic susceptibility) show that IONPs manage to penetrate the roots of beans and sunflower plants (57 and 63 days-old) and that they are translocated to the aerial parts in low amounts. Plants respond to IONPs penetration by increasing the plant biomass and the chlorophyll contents and by decreasing the lipid peroxidation.

L’avènement des nanotechnologies engendre une exposition accrue de l’homme aux nanomatériaux, représentant un risque d’un genre nouveau. A cet égard un grand nombre de recherches porte sur l’étude de leur toxicité. Néanmoins, les questions de dégradation et transformation des nanoparticules dans l’organisme sont encore peu abordées. Des études effectuées au laboratoire ont montré qu’après injection de nanoparticules d’oxyde de fer in vivo, celles-ci sont confinées dans les lysosomes où elles sont dégradées. Une partie de mes travaux de thèse se sont concentrés sur une voie possible de métabolisation des produits de dégradation issus de nanoparticules d’oxydes de fer par l’intermédiaire d’une protéine intervenant dans le métabolisme du fer, la ferritine. Nous avons élaboré plusieurs stratégies afin de détecter et de suivre le transfert de métaux vers la ferritine. Ces travaux ont permis de mettre en évidence un processus de prise en charge des produits de dégradation des nanoparticules d’oxyde de fer à l’échelle moléculaire. Une seconde partie de mes travaux ont été consacré au suivi des produits issus de la dégradation des nanoparticules d’oxyde de fer à l’échelle de l’organisme. La haute concentration endogène en fer rendant impossible ce suivi, une stratégie consistant à marquer les nanoparticules de fer avec un isotope du fer, le 57Fe, a permis de suivre les dynamiques de circulation des produits de dégradation in vivo sur une période de six mois. Nous avons également effectué un double marquage des nanoparticules, du cœur inorganique ainsi que de leur enrobage afin de caractériser leur intégrité in vivo / With the advent of nanotechnology, the exposure of humans to nanomaterials increased, representing a risk of a new kind. Although the potential toxicity of such nanomaterials is extensively studied, their long term fate, biotransformation and degradation in the organism are still poorly understood. It was demonstrated earlier in the laboratory, that after intravenous injection, iron oxide nanoparticles undergo local intracellular degradation within lysosomes. In this context, we are interested in the fate of by products from iron oxide nanoparticles. Part of my thesis has focused on a possible pathway for metabolizing these degradation products through a protein involved in iron metabolism, the ferritin. We first studied, in solution, the degradation processes of iron oxide nanoparticles in the presence of these proteins as well as the iron transfer processes from nanoparticles to ferritin. The difficulty is the high concentration of endogenous iron which makes impossible to demonstrate these in vivo transfers. Thus, we have developed a strategy, using doped iron oxide nanoparticles with a scarce element in the organism, to track these phenomena in vivo. This work highlighted a possible mechanism of biological recycling, remediation and detoxification of nanoparticles mediated by endogenous proteins at the molecular scale. A second part of my work was devoted to develop a multi-scale method to study the life cycle of metal oxide nanoparticles and their by products in organism. The main challenge is to differentiate iron stemming from the nanoparticles from the endogenous iron. This specific tracking problem is routinely encountered in geochemical studies and solved by labelling the target material with minor stable isotopes. Therefore, iron oxide nanoparticles enriched in the minor stable isotope 57Fe were synthetized and injected intravenously in mice to follow dynamic circulations of iron oxide nanoparticles and their byproducts. We have also labelled the coating to track the nanoparticles integrity in mice over a period of six month

Les nanoparticules (NPs) d’oxyde de fer susceptibles de présenter un comportement superparamagnétique ont connu ces dernières années un intérêt considérable en vue de leur application en nanomédecine. Leurs propriétés magnétiques et biocompatibilités permettent notamment leur utilisation à des fins de diagnostic (IRM, imagerie optique et nucléaire…) et aussi de thérapie (hyperthermie, nano vectorisation…). L’objectif de cette thèse a été d’étudier l’influence des paramètres de synthèse sur les propriétés finales des NPs d’oxyde de fer magnétique dopé au zinc. Cette étude avait plus particulièrement pour but l’optimisation des méthodes de synthèse qui sont la coprécipitation et la décomposition thermique. A ce sujet, la caractérisation des NPs par diverses techniques a permis notamment d’étudier les liens entre la taille, la forme, la composition chimique d’une part, et les propriétés magnétiques des NPs d’autre part. Dans un deuxième temps, la fonctionnalisation des NPs qui est une étape indispensable pour assurer leurs biocompatibilités a été réalisée, elle était suivie par des mesures d’hyperthermie magnétique. / The superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are a class of nanomaterials with a high interest in the nanomedicine field. Their magnetic properties and biocompatibility recommend them as potential candidates for diagnostics purposes (MRI, optical or nuclear Imaging ...) and therapy (hyperthermia, nanovectorization...). The aim of this thesis was to study the influence of the synthesis parameters on the final properties of magnetic zinc doped iron oxide nanoparticles. Two synthesis methods were considered, the co-precipitation and the thermal decomposition. The characterization of the obtained nanoparticles by complementary techniques allowed us to propose a consistent relationship between the size, shape and chemical composition on the one hand, and the magnetic properties of the nanoparticles on the other hand. The functionalization of NPs, that is a crucial step for ensuring their biocompatibility and use in magnetic hyperthermia, was also realised and the hyperthermia properties were measured on some typical nanoparticles.

Ce travail vise l'étude de l'oxydation catalytique des Composés Organiques Volatils (COVs). L'objectif principal est de trouver des matériaux catalytiques qui sont des alternatives aux métaux nobles très onéreux. La recherche des matériaux catalytiques actifs, sélectifs, stables dans le temps et à base de métaux de transition est abordée. Afin d'améliorer les performances catalytiques des métaux de transition, la dispersion de l'espèce métallique doit être optimisée en utilisant une méthode de synthèse adéquate. Les différents solides préparés ont été caractérisés par différentes techniques physico-chimiques : la Diffraction des Rayons X (DRX), les Analyses Thermiques (ATD/ATG), la Spectroscopie Infrarouge (IR), la Réduction en Température Programmée (H₂-RTP), la Microscopie Electronique à Balayage (MEB), la Spectroscopie de Photoélectrons induits par rayons X (SPX)...De plus, les oxydes obtenus ont été testés dans les réactions d'oxydation totale du COV propène. En premier lieu, nous avons focalisé notre travail sur la préparation d'une série d'oxydes mixtes Co-Mg/Al-Fe par voie hydrotalcite afin d'obtenir des propriétés intéressantes en catalyse hétérogène. Cette étude consiste surtout à évaluer la substitution des cations bivalents et trivalents. Il s'est avéré que le solide contenant à la fois du cobalt et du fer (CoFe) possède l'activité catalytique la plus élevée. L'intérêt de la voie hydrotalcite par rapport à d'autres méthodes de synthèse, telles que la méthode classique et le mélange mécanique des oxydes a été mis en évidence. En second lieu, l'utilisation des irradiations micro-ondes lors de la synthèse des matériaux hydrotalcites a été également étudiée comme une méthode de synthèse non-conventionnelle. Un effet bénéfique a été observé avec l'utilisation des micro-ondes dû principalement à des surfaces spécifiques plus élevées et à une meilleure réductibilité des espèces oxydes. En outre, cette étude vise également la mise au point de cette nouvelle méthode. De ce fait, l'optimisation de la température, durée et puissance des irradiations micro-ondes a été effectuée sur le solide CoFe, afin de montrer l'influence de chaque paramètre sur les propriétés physico-chimiques des matériaux. En troisième lieu, la synthèse d'une série de catalyseurs par voie hydrotalcite avec différentes teneurs en Co²⁺ et Fe³⁺ a été effectuée. L'influence du rapport molaire sur la structure hydrotalcite a été montrée. Une comparaison entre ces solides et ceux préparés par la méthode micro-ondes a été également abordée. / This work aims to study the catalytic oxidation of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The main objective is to find catalytic materials that are alternatives to very expensive noble metals. The search for transition metal based catalysts is investigated. Furthermore, to improve the catalytic performance of the transition metals, their dispersion must be optimized using an adequate synthetic method. The various prepared solids were characterized by different physicochemical techniques : X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermal Analysis (TDA/TGA), Infrared Spectroscopy (IR), Temperature Programmed Reduction by hydrogen (H₂-TPR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS)...Moreover, the obtained oxides were tested in the total oxidation of the VOC propene. Firstly, we focused our work on the preparation of a series of Co/Fe hydrotalcites -like samples by the traditional co-precipitation method. This study consists mainly of evaluating the substitution of bivalent and trivalent cations. It has been found that the solid containing both cobalt and iron (CoFe) has the highest catalytic activity. The interest of the hydrotalcite route compared to other methods of synthesis, such as the classical method and the mechanical mixing of oxides was put into evidence. Secondly, the use of microwave irradiation during the synthesis of hydrotalcite materials has also been studied as an unconventional method of synthesis. A beneficial effect has been observed with the use of microwaves due mainly to higher specific surface areas and better reducibility of the oxide species. In addition, an optimization of the temperature, duration, and power of the microwave irradiations was carried out on the CoFe solid, in order to show the influence of each parameter on the physico-chemical properties of the materials. Thirdly, the synthesis of a series of hydrotalcite catalysts with different ratio of Co²⁺ and Fe³⁺ was carried out. The influence of the molar ratio on the hydrotalcite structure has been shown. A comparison between these solids and those prepared by the microwave method was also discussed.

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) hold great promise in the fields of biology and medicine. The synthesis of functional MNPs with precisely controlled crystallographic, physicochemical, and magnetic properties on a large scale still remains the challenge today. This thesis reports the exploration of liquid-fed flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) in the synthesis of functional MNPs, their surface modifications, and potential bio-applications. Superparamagnetic and ferromagnetic maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles, and silica-coated maghemite (SiO2/γ-Fe2O3) nanocomposites were synthesised using FSP. The size of γ-Fe2O3 was controllable from 6 to 53 nm, with morphology evolving from a disordered near-spherical shape to fully ordered 2-D hexagonal/octagonal platelet. The saturation magnetisation (Ms) increased from 21 to 74 emu/g with increasing particle size, up to 13 nm when Ms approached the bulk γ-Fe2O3 characteristics. In the case of SiO2/γ-Fe2O3, three distinct morphologies, namely the single segregated γ-Fe2O3 core- SiO2 shell, transitional mixed morphologies, and multi γ-Fe2O3 cores embedded in submicron SiO2 shell, were obtained. The core size, composite size, and morphology of γ- Fe2O3 were tunable by varying %SiO2 loading and the use of a quartz tube enclosure during flame synthesis. The magnetic behaviour correlated well with the crystal microstructure. Following the core particle design, protein adsorption-desorption behaviour on FSP-madeMNPs was studied. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption was found to follow the Langmuir isotherm, with high binding capacities (150−348 mg BSA/g particle) and fast association constants. Electrostatically governed BSA orientations were proposed for different particle-buffer systems. The adsorbed BSA was effectively recovered by pH-shift using K2HPO4. Subsequently, terminal amine, aldehyde, carboxylic, epoxy, mercapto and maleimide functionality were anchored onto the FSP-made γ-Fe2O3 particles. These versatile functional groups led to conjugation of active trypsin. The immobilised trypsin exhibited superior durability with >60% residual activity after one week, and excellent reusability for >5 cycles. The trypsin-conjugated MNPs are promising carriers in proteomics, demonstrating good substrate specificity with equivalent or better sequence coverage compared to free trypsin in insulin and BSA digestion. In another application, a refined silanisation procedure simultaneously reduced γ-Fe2O3 to Fe3O4, and generated thiol enriched surface for matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) conjugation. The highly active MMP-2-conjugated MNPs could potentially enhance the interstitial transport of macromolecule/nanoparticles in drug delivery.

<p>Knowledge of the relationship between <i>in vivo</i> contrast agent concentration and magnetic resonance (MR) signal response is an important requirement in contrast enhanced MR imaging in general and in MR based perfusion imaging in particular. This relationship is a complex function of the properties of the contrast agent as well as the structure of the target tissue. The aim of the present work was to quantify the effects of the iron oxide nanoparticle based intravascular contrast agent, NC100150 Injection, on proton relaxation rates in different tissue systems <i>in vivo</i> in a pig model and <i>ex vivo</i> in phantoms containing whole blood. Methods that enabled accurate relaxation rate measurements in these organs were developed, and validated. From these measurements, trans-compartmental water exchange rates and blood volume could be estimated and the MR signal response could be predicted as a function of contrast agent concentration under relevant imaging conditions. </p><p>Using a 1.5 Tesla clinical MR system, the longitudinal (R₁=1/T₁) proton relaxation rates in blood, renal cortex, paraspinal muscle and myocardium were measured <i>in vivo</i> as a function of plasma concentration (C_p) of NC100150 Injection. The transverse (R₂^* = 1/T₂^*) relaxation rates were measured <i>in vivo</i> in blood, renal cortex and muscle as a function of C_p and <i>ex vivo</i> in blood as a function of C_p and blood oxygenation tension. The proton nuclear MR (NMR) linewidth and lineshape were analysed as a function of C_p and blood oxygen tension <i>ex vivo</i> at 7.05 T. </p><p>In muscle and renal cortex, there was a linear correlation between R₂^* and C_p whereas R₂^* increased as a quadratic function of C_pin blood. The NMR linewidth increased linearly with C_p in fully oxygenated blood whereas in deoxygenated blood the linewidth initially decreased with increasing Cp, reaching a minimum and then increasing again with further increase in C_p. R₁ increased linearly with C_p in blood and from the slope of R₁ vs. C_p the T₁-relaxivity (r₁) of NC100150 Injection in blood at 1.5 T was estimated to be (mean ± SD) 13.9 ± 0.9 s^-1mM^-1. In tissue, the maximum increase in R₁ was limited by the rate of water exchange between the intravascular and interstitial tissue compartments. Using a two-compartment exchange-limited relaxation model, the permeability surface area (PS) product was estimated to be 61.9 ± 2.9 mL/min/g in renal cortex and 10.1 ± 1.5 mL/min/g in muscle and the total myocardial water exchange rate, <i>k</i><i>t</i>, was 13.5 ± 6.4 s^-1. The estimated blood volumes obtained from the same model were 19.1 ± 1.4 mL/100 g, 2.4 ± 1.4 mL/100 g and 11.2 ± 2.1 mL/100 g, respectively in renal cortex, muscle and myocardium.</p><p>Current T₂^* based first-pass MR perfusion methods assume a linear correlation between R₂^* and C_p both in blood and tissue and our results therefore suggest that quantitative perfusion values can not easily be obtained with existing tracer kinetic models. The correlation between MR signal response and C_p is further complicated in the kidney by a significant first-pass increase in R₁ which may lead to an underestimation of C_p. In T₁-based perfusion methods, low concentrations of NC100150 Injection must be used in order to maintain a linear dose-response relationship between R₁ and C_p. The effect of blood oxygenation on the NMR linewidth in the presence of NC100150 Injection enabled accurate estimation of magnetic susceptibility of deoxyhemoglobin and the effect can potentially be used to determine blood oxygenation status.</p><p>In conclusion, NC100150 Injection is well suited as a T₂^* perfusion agent due to the large magnetisation and intravascular biodistribution of this agent. T₁-based perfusion imaging with this agent is limited by water exchange effects and large T₂^* effects at higher contrast agent concentrations. Quantitative perfusion assessment is unlikely to be feasible with any of these approaches due to the non-linear dose response.</p>

<p>Whereas the effect of size and coating material on the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of iron oxide based contrast agents are well documented, the effect of these parameters on liver metabolism has never been investigated. The primary purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of iron oxide particle size and coating on the rate of liver clearance and particle degradation using a rat model. </p><p>The magnetic and relaxation properties of five different iron oxide contrast agents were determined prior to the onset of the animal studies. The R2* values and the T1-enhancing efficacy of the agents were also evaluated in blood using phantom models. The results of these studies indicated that the efficacy of these agents was matrix and frequency dependent. Correlations between the R2* values and the magnetic properties of the agents were established and a new parameter, Msat/r1, was created to enable better estimations of contrast agent T1-enhancing efficacy in blood. </p><p>The bio-distribution of one of the agents was also evaluated to assess the importance of sub-cellular particle distribution, using an isolated rat liver cell model. Phantom models were also used to verify that materials with magnetic properties similar to the particle breakdown products (ferritin/hemosiderin) may induce signal reduction when compartmentalized in a liver cell suspension. The results revealed that the cellular distribution of the agent did not influence the rate of particle degradation. This finding conflicted with current theory. Additionally, the study indicated that the compartmentalization of magnetic materials similar to ferritin may induce significant signal loss.</p><p>Methods enabling the accurate determination of contrast agent concentration in the liver were developed and validated using one of the agents. From these measurements the liver half-life of the agent was estimated and compared to the rate of liver clearance, as determined from the evolution of the effective transverse relaxation rate (R2*) in rat liver. The results indicate that the liver R2* enhancement persisted at time points when the concentration of contrast agent present in the liver was below method detection limits. The prolonged R2* enhancement was believed to be a result of the compartmentalisation of the particle breakdown products within the liver cells. </p><p>Finally, the liver clearance and degradation rates of the five different iron oxide particles in rat liver were evaluated. The results revealed that for materials with similar iron oxide cores and particle sizes, the rate of liver clearance was affected by the coating material present. Materials with similar coating, but different sizes, exhibited similar rates of liver clearance.</p><p>In conclusion, the results of this work strongly suggest that coating material of the iron oxide particles may contribute significantly to the rate of iron oxide particle clearance and degradation in rat liver cells.</p>

Knowledge of the relationship between in vivo contrast agent concentration and magnetic resonance (MR) signal response is an important requirement in contrast enhanced MR imaging in general and in MR based perfusion imaging in particular. This relationship is a complex function of the properties of the contrast agent as well as the structure of the target tissue. The aim of the present work was to quantify the effects of the iron oxide nanoparticle based intravascular contrast agent, NC100150 Injection, on proton relaxation rates in different tissue systems in vivo in a pig model and ex vivo in phantoms containing whole blood. Methods that enabled accurate relaxation rate measurements in these organs were developed, and validated. From these measurements, trans-compartmental water exchange rates and blood volume could be estimated and the MR signal response could be predicted as a function of contrast agent concentration under relevant imaging conditions. Using a 1.5 Tesla clinical MR system, the longitudinal (R1=1/T1) proton relaxation rates in blood, renal cortex, paraspinal muscle and myocardium were measured in vivo as a function of plasma concentration (Cp) of NC100150 Injection. The transverse (R2* = 1/T2*) relaxation rates were measured in vivo in blood, renal cortex and muscle as a function of Cp and ex vivo in blood as a function of Cp and blood oxygenation tension. The proton nuclear MR (NMR) linewidth and lineshape were analysed as a function of Cp and blood oxygen tension ex vivo at 7.05 T. In muscle and renal cortex, there was a linear correlation between R2* and Cp whereas R2* increased as a quadratic function of Cp in blood. The NMR linewidth increased linearly with Cp in fully oxygenated blood whereas in deoxygenated blood the linewidth initially decreased with increasing Cp, reaching a minimum and then increasing again with further increase in Cp. R1 increased linearly with Cp in blood and from the slope of R1 vs. Cp the T1-relaxivity (r1) of NC100150 Injection in blood at 1.5 T was estimated to be (mean ± SD) 13.9 ± 0.9 s-1mM-1. In tissue, the maximum increase in R1 was limited by the rate of water exchange between the intravascular and interstitial tissue compartments. Using a two-compartment exchange-limited relaxation model, the permeability surface area (PS) product was estimated to be 61.9 ± 2.9 mL/min/g in renal cortex and 10.1 ± 1.5 mL/min/g in muscle and the total myocardial water exchange rate, kt, was 13.5 ± 6.4 s-1. The estimated blood volumes obtained from the same model were 19.1 ± 1.4 mL/100 g, 2.4 ± 1.4 mL/100 g and 11.2 ± 2.1 mL/100 g, respectively in renal cortex, muscle and myocardium. Current T2* based first-pass MR perfusion methods assume a linear correlation between R2* and Cp both in blood and tissue and our results therefore suggest that quantitative perfusion values can not easily be obtained with existing tracer kinetic models. The correlation between MR signal response and Cp is further complicated in the kidney by a significant first-pass increase in R1 which may lead to an underestimation of Cp. In T1-based perfusion methods, low concentrations of NC100150 Injection must be used in order to maintain a linear dose-response relationship between R1 and Cp. The effect of blood oxygenation on the NMR linewidth in the presence of NC100150 Injection enabled accurate estimation of magnetic susceptibility of deoxyhemoglobin and the effect can potentially be used to determine blood oxygenation status. In conclusion, NC100150 Injection is well suited as a T2* perfusion agent due to the large magnetisation and intravascular biodistribution of this agent. T1-based perfusion imaging with this agent is limited by water exchange effects and large T2* effects at higher contrast agent concentrations. Quantitative perfusion assessment is unlikely to be feasible with any of these approaches due to the non-linear dose response.

Whereas the effect of size and coating material on the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of iron oxide based contrast agents are well documented, the effect of these parameters on liver metabolism has never been investigated. The primary purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of iron oxide particle size and coating on the rate of liver clearance and particle degradation using a rat model. The magnetic and relaxation properties of five different iron oxide contrast agents were determined prior to the onset of the animal studies. The R2* values and the T1-enhancing efficacy of the agents were also evaluated in blood using phantom models. The results of these studies indicated that the efficacy of these agents was matrix and frequency dependent. Correlations between the R2* values and the magnetic properties of the agents were established and a new parameter, Msat/r1, was created to enable better estimations of contrast agent T1-enhancing efficacy in blood. The bio-distribution of one of the agents was also evaluated to assess the importance of sub-cellular particle distribution, using an isolated rat liver cell model. Phantom models were also used to verify that materials with magnetic properties similar to the particle breakdown products (ferritin/hemosiderin) may induce signal reduction when compartmentalized in a liver cell suspension. The results revealed that the cellular distribution of the agent did not influence the rate of particle degradation. This finding conflicted with current theory. Additionally, the study indicated that the compartmentalization of magnetic materials similar to ferritin may induce significant signal loss. Methods enabling the accurate determination of contrast agent concentration in the liver were developed and validated using one of the agents. From these measurements the liver half-life of the agent was estimated and compared to the rate of liver clearance, as determined from the evolution of the effective transverse relaxation rate (R2*) in rat liver. The results indicate that the liver R2* enhancement persisted at time points when the concentration of contrast agent present in the liver was below method detection limits. The prolonged R2* enhancement was believed to be a result of the compartmentalisation of the particle breakdown products within the liver cells. Finally, the liver clearance and degradation rates of the five different iron oxide particles in rat liver were evaluated. The results revealed that for materials with similar iron oxide cores and particle sizes, the rate of liver clearance was affected by the coating material present. Materials with similar coating, but different sizes, exhibited similar rates of liver clearance. In conclusion, the results of this work strongly suggest that coating material of the iron oxide particles may contribute significantly to the rate of iron oxide particle clearance and degradation in rat liver cells.

High temperature synthesis of nanocrystals in non-polar solvents typically produces materials with narrow size distribution and high yields. However, the mechanism leading to the preservation of monodispersity on depletion of monomers is not understood, for example, in the case of iron oxide nanoparticles. In our study, it was found that oleic acid, a surfactant added to the mixture of iron precursor and solvent, gradually decomposed to release carbon monoxide at 320°C. This strong reducing gaseous product had a substantial impact on the size distribution of nanocrystals produced. The reduced forms of iron oxide catalyzed the disproportionation of carbon monoxide resulting in a graphitic carbon deposit on the surface of nanoparticles. The graphite coating inhibited further growth of particles and prevented Ostwald ripening. Graphite presence was demonstrated by Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It was found that the amount of graphite deposited on the surface of nanocrystals increased with time at 320°C. Quantitative data regarding the carbon content was obtained by thermo gravimetric analysis and energy dispersive spectrometry. The surface activity of the nanocrystals was shown to be affected by the carbon coating in applications such as arsenic removal.