Biomedical imaging, contrast agents

NIR-absorbing metal nanostructures are appealing for biomedical imaging applications for reasons discussed previously, and this includes biological applications of SERS. For example, NIR-active core-shell superparticles have been prepared by the electrostatic assembly of densely packed Au nanoparticles on submicron silica spheres.34 Such superparticle probes can be implanted into mammalian cells by cationic transfection,186 and have produced SERS signals from absorbed DNA.187 Biocompatible SERS nanoparticle tags can also be used as contrast agents for in vivo detection, as previously discussed.169... 

Interest toward spin-state crossover in iron(II) complexes is increasing because of potential technological applications,198199 such as intelligent contrast agents for biomedical imaging, as temperature/pressure threshold indicators, and as optical elements... 

Licha, K., Riefke, B., Ebert, B., and Grotzin-ger, C. (2002) Cyanine dyes as contrast agents in biomedical optical imaging, Acad Radiol 9 Suppl 2, S320-322. 

Biomedical Imaging The Chemistry of Labels, Probes and Contrast Agents... 

E.M. Sevick-Muraca, A. Godavarty, J.P. Houston, A.B. Thompson, R. Roy, Near-infrared imaging with fluorescence contrast agents. In M.-A. Mycek, B.W. Pogue (eds.), Handbook of Biomedical Fluorescence, Marcel Dekker New York, Basel, 445-527 (2003)... 

Morphology control is indispensable in many of the advanced applications envisioned for functional mesoporous materials (54, 267). Permselective membranes, micro-spheres, or monoliths are important for sorption, separation, and chromatography purposes. Porous thin films or fibrous structures are relevant for electronics, optics, low fe-dielectrics, and sensing applications. Colloidal particles or nanospheres are preferred for biomedical systems to be used in drug delivery or magnetic resonance imaging (MRl) with contrast agents. 

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