Multimodal nanoprobes offer a promising solution to the sensitivity and specificity limitations in medical assays by combining the benefits of multiple diagnostic modalities into a single particle. GdPO4 doped with Eu is a particularly attractive nanomaterial platform for developing such nanoprobes, as it offers tunable optical and magnetic properties through shape and composition changes. However, data on the physicochemical properties of lanthanide-based bimodal NPs with different morphologies in relation to their bioaccumulation and toxicity on aquatic organisms are limited. The aim of our study was to reproducibly synthesize Gd-based NPs with variable morphologies (rod, prism and sphere), characterize their morphological, optical, and magnetic contrast properties, determine NPs localization in Daphnia magna, and evaluate toxic effects in test organisms after 24-hour exposure to different morphologies and concentrations of NPs. Our study demonstrates an aqueous hydrothermal synthesis method for producing GdPO4:Eu3+ particles with different morphologies, while maintaining consistent optical properties across different forms. The data obtained from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study showed a direct correlation between the NPs surface area and T1 and T2 relaxivities. Confocal fluorescence microscopy results demonstrated that after 24-hour exposure, most nanorods and nanoprisms were concentrated from the foregut towards the midgut of the D. magna intestinal tract, whereas sub-microspheres were localized only in the foregut and the beginning of the midgut. Furthermore, D. magna mortality, heart rate (HR), and behavior were affected by NPs morphology and concentration, with nanorods showing the most pronounced impact. The obtained results are of significant importance for the development multimodal imaging using high-performance eco-friendly nanoprobes align with the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) principles.

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