This book describes the multiple aspects of (i) preparation of the
magnetic core, (ii) the stabilization with different coatings, (iii) the
physico-chemical characterization and (iv) the vectorization to obtain
specific nanosystems. Several bio-applications are also presented in
this book. In the early days of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI),
paramagnetic ions were proposed as contrast agents to enhance the
diagnostic quality of MR images. Since then, academic and industrial
efforts have been devoted to the development of new and more efficient
molecular, supramolecular and nanoparticular systems. Old concepts and
theories, like paramagnetic relaxation, were revisited and exploited,
leading to new scientific tracks. With their high relaxivity payload,
the superparamagnetic nanoparticles are very appealing in the context of
molecular imaging but challenges are still numerous: absence of
toxicity, specificity, ability to cross the biological barriers, etc.