U.S. scientists say nanoscale magnets in the form of iron-containing molecules might be used to improve magnetic resonance imaging.

The magnets, say researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, can enhance the contrast between healthy and diseased tissue as long as the concentration of nanomagnets is carefully managed. Such a system, said researchers, would offer significant advantages, such as versatility in design, over currently used compounds.

The Boulder, Colo.-based, NIST says it is working with Florida State University to make single-molecule magnets less than five nanometers in diameter, and with the University of Colorado-Boulder to make nanocrystals in the 10- to 50-nanometer range.

The study is to appear in a future issue of the journal Polyhedron.