High-contrast paramagnetic fluorescent mesoporous silica nanorods as a multifunctional cell-imaging probe

The development of a new multifunctional mesoporous silica nanorod that features green fluorescence and paramagnetism, is analyzed. The multifunctional nanorods were synthesized by surfactant-templated self-assembly, which can be used as a contrast agent in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These nanorods were washed with water and ethanol and heated at 60°C for 24 h to remove the surfactant. The surfactant-free nanorods, Dye@MSN-R, were mixed with GdCl ₃-6H₂O in 75% aqueous methanol and stirred at 40°C for 18 h to form the multifuctional nanorods Gd-Dye@MSN-R. The morphology and size distribution of Gd-Dye@MSN-R were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The bifunctional properties of nanorods were also analyzed to use as a cell marker. Results show that nanorods exhibit potential in monitoring cell trafficking and cancer cell metastasis, and drug/DNA delivery effectively.