Abstract

X-ray computed tomography (CT) has been widely used in clinical practice, and contrast agents such as Iohexol are often used to enhance the contrast of CT imaging between normal and diseased tissue. However, such contrast agents can have some toxicity. Thus, new CT contrast agents are urgently needed. Owing to the high atomic number ( Z  = 83), low cost, good biological safety, and great X-ray attenuation property (5.74 cm 2  kg −1 at 100 keV), bismuth has gained great interest from researchers in the field of nano-sized CT contrast agents. Here, we synthesized BiF 3 : Ln@PVP nanoparticles (NPs) with an average particle size of about 380 nm. After coating them with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), the BiF 3 : Ln@PVP NPs possessed good stability and great biocompatibility. Meanwhile, compared with the clinical contrast agent Iohexol, BiF 3 : Ln@PVP NPs showed superior in vitro CT imaging contrast. Subsequently, after in situ injection with BiF 3 : Ln@PVP NPs, the CT value of the tumor site after the injection was significantly higher than that before the injection (the CT value of the pre-injection and post-injection was 48.9 HU and 194.58 HU, respectively). The morphology of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract can be clearly observed over time after oral administration of BiF 3 : Ln@PVP NPs. Finally, the BiF 3 : Ln@PVP NPs were completely discharged from the GI tract of mice within 48 h of oral administration with no obvious damage to the GI tract. In summary, our easily synthesized BiF 3 : Ln@PVP NPs can be used as a potential clinical contrast agent and may have broad application prospects in CT imaging.