GdDOTAGA(C18)2: an efficient amphiphilic Gd(iii) chelate for the preparation of self-assembled high relaxivity MRI nanoprobes.

A new amphiphilic GdDOTA-like complex functionalized with two octadecyl chains was synthesised and incorporated into the bilayer of liposomes and dendrimersomes. (1)H NMR relaxometric studies and in vivo MRI experiments on mice bearing a syngeneic melanoma tumour have shown a great improvement in performance.