Crystal size and properties of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) particles

The properties of a superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) model contrast agent have been studied. The test material, HEP-SPIO, contained iron oxide multicrystal agglomerates coated with heparin, a polyanionic, naturally occurring glycosaminoglycan. Fractionation of the HEP-SPIO suspension showed the existence of colloidally stable particles ranging from approx. 100 nm down to single crystal sizes. The small (<20 nm) particles represented the major number fraction of particles present, but only approx. 2% of the total iron oxide mass. The volume weighted average diameter of the individual iron oxide crystals forming the multicrystal agglomerates was found to be 11–12 nm using transmission electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) techniques. Comparable results were obtained with X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy. A number of additional SPIO properties could also be determined on a routine VSM, such as the distribution standard deviation for the log-normal distribution of crystal sizes, the magnetic susceptibility, the magnetic remanence, and the intrinsic magnetization (magnetic moment) of the iron oxide. These parameters are useful tools for evaluation of the magnetic characteristics and contrast efficacy of SPIO contrast agents.