The immense structural diversity of more than 200 known zeolites is the basis for the wide variety of applications of these fascinating materials ranging from catalysis and molecular filtration to agricultural uses. Despite this versatility, the potential of zeolites in medical imaging has not yet been much exploited. In this work a novel strategy is presented to selectively deposit different ions into distinct framework locations of zeolite-LTL (Linde type L) and it is demonstrated that the carefully ion-exchanged Gd/Eu-containing nanocrystals acquire exceptional magnetic properties in combination with enhanced luminescence. This smart exploitation of the framework structure yields the highest relaxivity density (13.7 s(-1)  L g(-1) at 60 MHz and 25 °C) reported so far for alumosilicates, rendering these materials promising candidates for the design of dual magnetic resonance/optical imaging probes, as demonstrated in preliminary phantom studies.

Nanoparticles made of a polysiloxane matrix and surrounded by 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1-glutaric anhydride-4,7,10-triacetic acid (DOTAGA)[Gd(3+) ] and 2,2'-(7-(1-carboxy-4-((2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl)oxy)-4-oxobutyl)-1,4,7-triazonane-1,4-diyl)diacetic acid) NODAGA[(68) Ga(3+) ] have been synthesized for positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MRI) dual imaging. Characterizations were carried out in order to determine the nature of the ligands available for radiolabelling and to quantify them. High radiolabelling purity (>95%) after (68) Ga labelling was obtained. The MR and PET images demonstrate the possibility of using the nanoparticles for a combined PET/MR imaging scanner. The images show fast renal elimination of the nanoparticles after intravenous injection.

Thermosensitive fluorescent nanoparticles seeded in deionized water combined with confocal microscopy enables thermal mapping over three dimensions of the liquid phase flowing through a microchannel interrupted by a microdiaphragm. This experiment reveals the presence of a strong thermal gradient up to ~10(5) K/m only when hydrodynamic cavitation is present. Here hydrodynamic cavitation is the consequence of high shear rates downstream in the diaphragm. This temperature gradient is located in vortical structures associated with eddies in the shear layers. We attribute such overheating to the dissipation involved by the cavitating flow regime. Accordingly, we demonstrate that the microsizes of the device enhance the intensity of the thermal gap.