A Facile Approach to Prepare Silica Hybrid, Spin-Crossover Water-Soluble Nanoparticles As Potential Candidates for Thermally Responsive MRI Agents

A reverse micelle method was used for the synthesis of water-soluble silica hybrid, spin-crossover (SCO) nanoparticles (NPs). MRI experiments provided temperature dependent T2 values, indicating their potential use as smart MRI agents, while lyophilization of NP dispersions in water yielded powders with a preserved but modified thermal hysteretic magnetic profile.