A Gd3Al tetranuclear complex as a potential bimodal MRI/optical imaging agent.

A new self-assembled gadolinium(III)-aluminum(III) complex (Gd(3)Al) was synthesized and characterized. The efficacy of this Gd(3)Al complex as a potential bimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/optical imaging agent has been evaluated. Relaxivity studies showed that the Gd(3)Al complex has higher relaxation efficiency (7.18 mM(-1) s(-1)) compared with the clinically used complex gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA, 3.9 mM(-1) s(-1)) at 400 MHz and 25 °C. In vitro T(1)-MR images on a 0.5 T magnetic field exhibited a remarkable enhancement of signal contrast for Gd(3)Al compared to Gd-DTPA. Furthermore, the Gd(3)Al complex exhibits bright-green luminescence with the emission spectrum centred at 510 nm. Live-cell fluorescence imaging reveals that the Gd(3)Al complex is permeable to cells and localizes to the cytoplasm. In view of the relaxometric and luminescent properties, this Gd(3)Al complex could serve as a potential bimodal MRI/optical imaging agent.