AUTHOR=Basal Lina A. , Allen Matthew J. 

TITLE=Synthesis, Characterization, and Handling of EuII-Containing Complexes for Molecular Imaging Applications

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2018.00065

DOI=10.3389/fchem.2018.00065

ISSN=2296-2646

ABSTRACT=<p>Considerable research effort has focused on the <italic>in vivo</italic> use of responsive imaging probes that change imaging properties upon reacting with oxygen because hypoxia is relevant to diagnosing, treating, and monitoring diseases. One promising class of compounds for oxygen-responsive imaging is Eu<sup>II</sup>-containing complexes because the Eu<sup>II/III</sup> redox couple enables imaging with multiple modalities including magnetic resonance and photoacoustic imaging. The use of Eu<sup>II</sup> requires care in handling to avoid unintended oxidation during synthesis and characterization. This review describes recent advances in the field of imaging agents based on discrete Eu<sup>II</sup>-containing complexes with specific focus on the synthesis, characterization, and handling of aqueous Eu<sup>II</sup>-containing complexes.</p>