A composite material consisting of Fe3O4 nanoparticles embedded in a 200 nm‐diameter porous Si (pSi) nanoparticle “superstructure” is prepared as a potential magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent. Dipolar magnetic coupling between Fe3O4 nanoparticles is enhanced due to their proximity in the pSi host matrix, resulting in an increase in the saturation magnetization and coercivity of the composite.

In this study, X-ray micro-computed tomography (CT) was used to reconstruct the fine structure macro- and microvasculature in three dimensions in contrast-enhanced rat liver samples. The subsequent application in the experimental CC531s colorectal cancer model was concurrent with results obtained from confocal microscopy in earlier studies. The en bloc stains osmium tetroxide in combination with uranyl acetate provided an excellent contrasting result for hepatic tissue after a trial of several contrasting agents. X-ray micro-CT allowed us to image the large blood vessels together with the branching sinusoids of hepatic tissue in three dimensions. Furthermore, interruption of the microvasculature was noted when rats were injected with CC531s colorectal cancer cells indicating the presence of hepatic metastases.

In this report, we prepared a porous Si nanoparticle with a pore morphology that facilitates the proximal loading and alignment of magnetite nanoparticles. We characterized the composite materials using superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and MRI. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the composite materials was tested using cell viability assays on human liver cancer cells and rat hepatocytes. An in vivo analysis using a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) Sprague Dawley rat model was used to determine the biodistribution properties of the material, while naïve Sprague Dawley rats were used to determine the pharmocokinetic properties of the nanomaterials. The composite material reported here demonstrates an injectable nanomaterial that exploits the dipolar coupling of superparamagnetic nanoparticles trapped within a secondary inorganic matrix to yield significantly enhanced MRI contrast. This preparation successfully avoids agglomeration issues that plague larger ferromagnetic systems. A Fe 3 O 4 :pSi composite formulation consisting of 25% by mass Fe 3 O 4 yields an maximal T2* value of 556 mM Fe −1 s −1 . No cellular (HepG2 or rat hepatocyte cells) or in vivo (rat) toxicity was observed with the formulation, which degrades and is eliminated after 4-8 h in vivo. The ability to tailor the magnetic properties of such materials may be useful for in vivo imaging, magnetic hyperthermia, or drug-delivery applications.