Tantalum oxide nanoparticle contrast agents

1. A nanoparticle composition comprising:

a plurality of nanoparticles, each nanoparticle of the plurality having:

a core comprising tantalum oxide, and

a covalent coating covalently bound to the core, the covalent coating comprising a surface modifier comprising 2-[methoxy (polyethyleneoxy)-9-12-propyl] trimethoxysilane (PEG-Silane) and hexadecyltriethoxy silane.

2. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticle composition is in the form of a lyophilized powder.

3. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 1 , wherein the tantalum oxide comprises TaO x , where 0<x≤2.5, Ta 2 O 5 , or combinations thereof.

4. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 3 , wherein the tantalum oxide comprises TaO, TaO 2 , Ta 2 O 5 , or combinations thereof.

5. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanoparticles is a first plurality of nanoparticles, the core is a first core, the covalent coating is a first covalent coating, and the surface modifier is a first surface modifier, and the nanoparticle composition further comprises:

a second core comprising tantalum oxide; and

a second covalent coating covalently bound to the second core, the second covalent coating comprising a second surface modifier comprising PEG-Silane, (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxy silane (APTMS), and APTMS-methoxy-poly(ethylene-glycol)-succinimidyl glutarate (APTMS-m-PEG-glutarate),

the second plurality of nanoparticles being hydrophilic.

6. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanoparticles is a first plurality of nanoparticles, the core is a first core, the covalent coating is a first covalent coating, and the surface modifier is a first surface modifier, and the nanoparticle composition further comprises:

a second core comprising tantalum oxide; and

a second covalent coating covalently bound to the second core, the second covalent coating comprising a second surface modifier comprising PEG-Silane and (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxy silane (APTMS),

the second plurality of nanoparticles being hydrophobic.

7. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanoparticles is a first plurality of nanoparticles, the core is a first core, the covalent coating is a first covalent coating, and the surface modifier is a first surface modifier, and the nanoparticle composition further comprises:

a second core comprising tantalum oxide; and

a second covalent coating covalently bound to the second core, the second covalent coating comprising a second surface modifier comprising PEG-Silane and fluorescein isothiocyanate (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxy silane (FITC-APTMS),

the second plurality of nanoparticles being hydrophilic.

8. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanoparticles is a first plurality of nanoparticles, the core is a first core, the covalent coating is a first covalent coating, and the surface modifier is a first surface modifier, and the nanoparticle composition further comprises:

a second core comprising tantalum oxide; and

a second covalent coating covalently bound to the second core, the second covalent coating comprising a second surface modifier comprising PEG-Silane, (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxy silane (APTMS), and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-APTMS,

the second plurality of nanoparticles being hydrophobic.

9. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a non-covalent coating non-covalently associated with the hexadecyltriethoxy silane, the non-covalent coating comprising a hydrophobic polymer.

10. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are non-covalently embedded within the hydrophobic polymer.

11. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 1 , wherein each nanoparticle of the plurality of nanoparticles further comprises a mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSNP), wherein the at least one core having the covalent coating is embedded within the MSNP.

12. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier,

wherein the nanoparticle composition is configured to provide contrast for computed tomography (CT).

13. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are embedded within a polymer having a predetermined shape, wherein the nanoparticle composition is configured as a biological scaffold.

14. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a polymer,

wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are either dissolved in the polymer or suspended in the polymer, and

wherein the nanoparticle composition is configured to solidify into a three-dimensional shape during a three-dimensional printing process.

15. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a therapeutic agent coupled to the covalent coating.

16. A method of fabricating a biological scaffold, the method comprising three-dimensional printing the biological scaffold with a bio-ink comprising the nanoparticle composition according to claim 1 .

17. A method of fabricating a biological scaffold, the method comprising disposing a polymer about a mask having a predetermined shape and solidifying the polymer, wherein the polymer comprises the nanoparticle composition according to claim 1 .

18. A nanoparticle composition comprising:

a plurality of nanoparticles, each nanoparticle of the plurality comprising:

a core comprising tantalum oxide; and

a covalent coating covalently bonded to the core, the covalent coating comprising a surface modifier comprising 2-[methoxy (polyethyleneoxy)-9-12-propyl] trimethoxysilane (PEG-Silane) and hexadecyltriethoxy silane; and

a polymer, wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are non-covalently embedded within the polymer.

19. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 18 , wherein the polymer comprises poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA).

20. A method of synthesizing a nanoparticle composition, the method comprising:

combining an organic solvent with an aqueous solution to form a water-in-oil micro-emulsion;

adding a compound comprising tantalum to the micro-emulsion to form uncoated tantalum nanoparticles; and

covalently binding a surface modifier to the uncoated tantalum nanoparticles to form the nanoparticle composition, the surface modifier comprising 2-[methoxy (polyethyleneoxy)-9-12-propyl]trimethoxysilane (PEG-Silane) and hexadecyltriethoxy silane,

wherein the nanoparticle composition comprises:

a plurality of nanoparticles, each nanoparticle of the plurality having:

a core comprising tantalum oxide, and

a covalent coating, the covalent coating comprising the surface modifier covalently bound to the core.

21. The method according to claim 20 , further comprising:

embedding the plurality of nanoparticles within a polymer.

22. The method according to claim 20 , further comprising:

dialyzing the plurality of nanoparticles in water; and

lyophilizing the plurality of nanoparticles to generate a lyophilized powder comprising the plurality of nanoparticles.

23. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanoparticles is a first plurality of nanoparticles, the core is a first core, the covalent coating is a first covalent coating, and the surface modifier is a first surface modifier, and the nanoparticle composition further comprises:

a second core comprising tantalum oxide; and

a second covalent coating covalently bound to the second core, the second covalent coating comprising a second surface modifier selected from the group consisting of (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxy silane (APTMS), (3-aminopropyl)triethoxy silane (APTES), APTMS-methoxy-poly(ethylene-glycol)-succinimidyl glutarate (APTMS-m-PEG-glutarate), APTES-methoxy-poly(ethylene-glycol)-succinimidyl glutarate (APTES-m-PEG-glutarate), 2-[methoxy (polyethyleneoxy)-9-12-propyl] trimethoxysilane (PEG-Silane), fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-APTMS, FITC-APTES, hexadecyltriethoxy silane, and combinations thereof.

24. The nanoparticle composition according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanoparticles is a first plurality of nanoparticles, the core is a first core, the covalent coating is a first covalent coating, and the surface modifier is a first surface modifier, and the nanoparticle composition further comprises:

a second core comprising tantalum oxide; and

a second covalent coating covalently bound to the second core, the second covalent coating comprising a second surface modifier selected from the group consisting of (3-aminopropyl)triethoxy silane (APTES), APTES-methoxy-poly(ethylene-glycol)-succinimidyl glutarate (APTES-m-PEG-glutarate), fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-APTES, and combinations thereof.