Facile synthesis of non-ionic dimeric molecular resonance imaging contrast agent: its relaxation and luminescence studies

A bis-polyazamacrocycle, 10′-bis(acetamido)ethane-bis[1,4,7-tri(carboxymethane)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane] (DO3A-AME-DO3A) was synthesized for application in magnetic resonance imaging. The efficacy of DO3A-AME-DO3A as non ionic magnetic contrast agent was tested by performing relaxometric studies on its gadolinium complex. The longitudinal relaxivity, r1 and transverse relaxivity, r2 values were found to be 5.84 mM−1s−1 and 6.82 mM−1s−1, per Gd(III) at pH 7.0, 37 °C. The luminescence properties of europium complex of DO3A-AME-DO3A were investigated in aqueous medium. The lifetime of Eu2-DO3A-AME-DO3A in water was found to be 0.786 ms. Emission and luminescence lifetime measurements on the europium complex of DO3A-AME-DO3A gives a hydration number of q = 1.9. The reaction enthalpy and entropy were found to be, ΔH0 = − (6.2 ± 2) kJ mol−1, ΔS0 = − (1.8 ± 0.4) kJ mol−1K−1, and KEu298 = (1.8 ± 0.1).