PEG and PEG/PEI modified superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) were synthesized by the thermal decomposition of iron (III) acetylacetonate (Fe(acac)(3)) in poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) containing poly (ethylene imine) (PEI) (0 or 0.3 g). PEG/PEI-SPIONs were coated with Tween 80 (PEG/PEI/Tween 80-SPIONs). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses indicated that PEG, PEG/PEI and PEG/PEI/Tween 80 were attached to the surfaces of the SPIONs. The PEG-SPIONs, PEG/PEI-SPIONs and PEG/PEI/Tween 80-SPIONs performed excellent colloidal stability in the phosphate buffered saline (PBS), and in deionized water with the mean hydrodynamic sizes of 19.5, 21.0, 24.0 nm and the zeta potentials of -5.0, 35.0, 19.0 mV, respectively. All the SPIONs showed low cytotoxicity assessed by the MTT assay. In vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the Kunming (KM) mouse brains were performed, the PEG-SPIONs, PEG/PEI-SPIONs and PEG/PEI/Tween 80-SPIONs exhibited vascular imaging effects in bulbus olfactorius, frontal cortex, temporal, thalamus and brain stem of the mouse brains after 24 h intravenous injection of the nanoparticles. The SPIONs have potentials as MRI contrast agents in the mouse brains. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.