One pot synthesis of water-dispersible dehydroascorbic acid coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles under atmospheric air: Blood cell compatibility and enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

• One pot co-precipitation synthesis method for DHA coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles under atmospheric air is reported.
• An antioxidant ascorbic (AA) acid is used to cease the oxidative impact of air.
• DHA coating stabilizes the Fe3O4 nanoparticles and effectively enhances their colloidal dispersibility in water.
• DHA coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles show a negative MRI contrast nature (T2 and T2∗) and human blood cell compatibility.

Water dispersible and biologically important molecule dehydroascorbic acid (DHA, capable to cross the blood brain barrier) coated Fe3O4 superparamagnetic nanoparticles having an average size of ∼6 nm were synthesized through one pot aqueous coprecipitation method under atmospheric air. An antioxidant ascorbic acid (AA) used in the synthesis oxidized itself to dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) to consume dissolved or available oxygen in reaction mixture which died away the oxidative impact of atmospheric air and formed DHA encapsulated the Fe3O4 nanoparticles which stabilized the Fe3O4 nanoparticles and significantly enhanced their colloidal solubility in water. Fe3O4 phase, superparamagnetic property, DHA coating and stable colloidal solubility in water were confirmed by means of XPS, VSM, IR and zeta potential analysis respectively. T1, T2 and T2∗ weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and corresponding relaxivity (r1 = 0.416, r2 = 50.28 and r2∗=123.65 mM−1 and r2/r1 = 120.86, r2∗r1=297.23) of colloidally dispersed DHA-coated nanoparticle water phantom revealed a strong contrast enhancement in T2 and T2∗ weighted images. The compatibility of DHA-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles toward human blood cells was examined by means of cell counting and cell morphological analysis with the use of optical microscope and scanning electron microscope imaging.

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