| Despite the great potential of combining inorganic and organic components to afford materials with unique properties, the development of so-called "hybrid" nanomaterials is a relatively new area of materials science. In this work, we outline the syntheses and characterization of several new classes of hybrid nanomaterials with potential applications in biomedical imaging and therapy. First, we use a microemulsion-based method to prepare gadolinium-based nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (NMOFs) as novel Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) contrast enhancing agents. We have also developed a method to coat the NMOFs with shells of amorphous silica, and illustrate the potential utility of these core-shell structures as probes for the ratiomeric luminescence detection of analytes in solution and as templates for new composite nanomaterials. Second, we use a general strategy to prepicipate nanoscale coordination polymer (NCP) particles composed of platinum-based anticancer drugs from a solution of the components via the addition of a poor solvent. The release of the drug species is controlled by varying the thickness of an amorphous silica shell, and the anticancer efficacies of the drug formulations are demonstrated against multiple cancer cell lines in vitro. Lastly, we have developed several unique silicon oxide-based nanoparticle formulations, including core-shell and polysilsesquioxane structures, which have multifunctional imaging capabilities superior to agents that are currently used in the clinic. |
