Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Bonding in Metals

Bonding in Metals

Metallic bonds are formed between two metal atoms. A simplified model to describe metallic bonding has been developed by Paul Drüde called the “Electron Sea Model”.

Alkali Metals

Alkali Metals

Group 1 elements are soft and shiny metallic solids. They are malleable, ductile, and good conductors of heat and electricity. The melting points of the alkali metals are unusually low for metals and decrease going down the group, while the density increases going down the group with the exception of potassium (Table 1).
Table 1: Properties of the alkali metals

Metal-Ligand Bonds

Metal-Ligand Bonds

The hemoglobin in the blood, the chlorophyll in green plants, vitamin B-12, and the catalyst used in the manufacture of polyethylene all contain coordination compounds. Ions of the metals, especially the transition metals, are likely to form complexes.
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...

The Carbon Cycle

The Carbon Cycle

Carbon is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and is recycled through the ecosystem in two primary processes: one in which carbon is exchanged among living organisms, and one in which carbon is cycled over long periods of time through fossilized organic remains, weathering of rocks, and volcanic activity. Human activities, including increased agricultural practices and the burning of fossil fuels, has greatly affected the balance of the natural carbon cycle.

Metallic Solids

Metallic Solids

Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability....

Carbon Skeletons

Carbon Skeletons

Life on Earth is carbon-based, as all macromolecules that make up living organisms contain carbon atoms. All organic compounds have a carbon backbone. Each carbon atom is tetravalent and can bond with four other atoms, making it an extraordinarily flexible component of biological molecules. Because carbon’s valence electrons are stable, it rarely becomes an ion. As the carbon chain increases in length, structural modifications such as ring structures, double bonds, and branching side...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Acute Toxicity of Three Synthetic Cannabinoids: First In Vivo Preclinical Study.

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Same author

Versatile SI-ATRP Growth of Methacrylate Brushes on Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Enables Methotrexate-Mediated Antineoplastic Activity in MCF-7 Cells.

Pharmaceutics·2026

Same author

Terahertz Imaging for Breast Cancer Detection in Animal Models: A Literature Review with Narrative Synthesis.

Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Same author

Bioactive-Enriched Chitosan/Poly(vinyl Alcohol) Electrospun Nanofibers for Wound Healing: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation.

Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Same author

MRI-Based Radiomics Reveals Cannabinoid-Associated Tumor Phenotypes in a Murine Breast Cancer Model.

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Same author

Polyethyleneimine-Directed In Situ Gold Deposition on Gallium Nitride Nanoparticles for Enhanced Electrochemical Detection of Erythromycin.

International journal of molecular sciences·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production

Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production

Published on: December 6, 2021

Carbon Dots Meet MRI: Metal Doping for a Smart Contrast Agent Design.

Oana Elena Carp¹, Cristina Mariana Uritu^1,2, Adina Coroaba¹

¹Centre of Advanced Research in Bionanoconjugates and Biopolymers, "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 700487 Iasi, Romania.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

|February 13, 2026

Summary

Metal-doped carbon nanodots (C-dots) show promise as safer MRI contrast agents. Their properties can be tuned for improved imaging, but further validation is needed for clinical use.

Keywords:

MRI signal metal-doped carbon dots relaxivity relaxometric parameters

More Related Videos

Preparation and In Vitro Characterization of Dendrimer-based Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Preparation and In Vitro Characterization of Dendrimer-based Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: December 4, 2016

Silicon Metal-oxide-semiconductor Quantum Dots for Single-electron Pumping

Silicon Metal-oxide-semiconductor Quantum Dots for Single-electron Pumping

Published on: June 3, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production

Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production

Published on: December 6, 2021

Preparation and In Vitro Characterization of Dendrimer-based Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Preparation and In Vitro Characterization of Dendrimer-based Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: December 4, 2016

Silicon Metal-oxide-semiconductor Quantum Dots for Single-electron Pumping

Silicon Metal-oxide-semiconductor Quantum Dots for Single-electron Pumping

Published on: June 3, 2015

Area of Science:

Nanotechnology
Biomedical Imaging
Materials Science

Background:

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) quality is limited by tissue contrast.
Gadolinium-based contrast agents have drawbacks, driving research into nanoscale alternatives.
Metal-doped carbon nanodots (C-dots) are emerging as potential MRI contrast agents.

Purpose of the Study:

To critically analyze metal-doped C-dots as candidates for MRI contrast agents.
To compare C-dots with existing contrast agents, highlighting unmet needs.
To explore how C-dot architecture influences MRI relaxivity.

Main Methods:

Review of MRI signal formation, T1/T2 relaxation, and relaxometric parameters (r1, r2).
Comparison of small-molecule agents with nanostructured systems.
Analysis of factors affecting C-dot relaxivity, including metal doping, location, and surface chemistry.

Main Results:

C-dot nano- and molecular architecture dictates r1 and r2 relaxivity.
Engineered C-dots can offer enhanced relaxivity, fluorescence, targeting, and therapeutic capabilities.
Metal-doped C-dots present a flexible and potentially safer alternative to conventional agents.

Conclusions:

Metal-doped C-dots offer tunable properties for improved MRI contrast.
Further research is required for standardized relaxometry, scalable synthesis, and in vivo validation for clinical translation.