This thesis is composed of two projects. The first project involves the investigation of a series of Cr+++ compounds as potential magnetic... Show moreThis thesis is composed of two projects. The first project involves the investigation of a series of Cr+++ compounds as potential magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. The second part of the thesis involves collaborative work with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the development of an MRI calibration phantom designed to correlate data from different MRI institutions for long term studies of diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Data from the Cr+++ project indicated that these compounds show some promise for enhancement of MRI images. The second project resulted in a NIST phantom being built based partly upon data obtained here at IIT. M.S. in Chemistry, May 2012 Show less