Application of Functional Magnetic Nanoparticles for Separation of Target Materials: A Review

Abstract

: Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have unique properties which have made them widely applicable in medicine and biology. Due to their responsiveness to external magnetic force, they are easy to work with. Functionalization of nanoparticles(NPs) effectively improves performance, increases stability in the body and acidic environment, and prevents the agglomeration of the particles. One of the important applications of these NPs is in the separation of materials as solid-phase extracting agents. On the other hand, functionalizing these NPs can increase the efficiency, stability, specificity, and sensitivity of the structure to separate the target. In this paper, various material separation studies have been collected and classified into several main groups based on material types. Study groups included functional MNPs for separating pathogen, organic and inorganic substances of environmental resources, removal of heavy metal ions, separation of biomolecules, isolation of cells, especially tumor cells, harvesting the microalgae. The results showed that this method has advantages such as high sensitivity and specificity, ease of use without needing an operator, requiring low costs, and is a time-saving technique not requiring sample preparation and concentration.