Preparation of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) coated iron oxide nanoparticles for contrast agent

Iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by the thermal decomposition of iron pentacarbonyl (Fe(CO)₅). Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) was used as surface-modifying agent to control the size of the iron oxide nanoparticles. The crystalline structure of PVP coated iron oxide nanoparticles was determined by XRD. The size of PVP coated iron oxide nanoparticles was determined by TEM and ELS. The particle sizes of PVP coated iron oxide nanoparticles were controlled by adjusting the molar ratio of PVP/Fe (CO)₅, solvent and molecular weight of PVP. Particle sizes increased with increasing PVP content. Spherical 50-100 nm sized iron oxide nanoclusters were produced when dimernylformamide was used as a solvent. And well-defined 10 nm iron oxide nanoparticles were produced in Carbitol. The prepared PVP coated iron oxide nanoparticles exhibited a well-dispersed property in water. The results obtained in this study confirmed the feasibility of the PVP-coated iron oxide nanoparticles as a biomaterial for MRI contrast agent.