Thermodynamic stability and kinetic inertness of a Gd-DTPA bisamide complex grafted onto gold nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles coated by gadolinium (III) chelates (Au@DTDTPA) where DTDTPA is a dithiolated bisamide derivative of diethylenetriamine-N,N,N',N'',N''-pentaacetic acid (DTPA), constituted contrast agents for both X-ray computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. In an MRI context, highly stable Gd(3+) complexes are needed for in vivo applications. Thus, knowledge of the thermodynamic stability and kinetic inertness of these chelates, when grafted onto gold nanoparticles, is crucial since bisamide DTPA chelates are usually less suited for Gd(3+) coordination than DTPA. Therefore, these parameters were evaluated by means of potentiometric titrations and relaxivity measurements. The results showed that, when the chelates were grafted onto the nanoparticle, not only their thermodynamic stability but also their kinetic inertness were improved. These positive effects were correlated to the chelate packing at the nanoparticle surface that stabilized the corresponding Gd(3+) complexes and greatly enhanced their kinetic inertness.