Magnetic nanoparticles: Properties and potential applications*
Laura L. Vatta, Ron D. Sanderson, and Klaus R. Koch
Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, University of Stellenbosch,Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
Abstract: Magnetic particles may be used to selectively attach and manipulate or transport targeted species to a desired location under the influence of an external magnetic field. By virtue of their size, magnetic nanoparticles are superparamagnetic, offering great potential in a variety of applications in their bare form or through coating with a surface coating and functional group chosen for a specific application. In this paper, and in order to illustrate this concept, three applications for the use of magnetic nanoparticles will be discussed, namely, in magnetic liquids for densimetric separation, in therapeutic and diagnostic testing, and in effluent processing and metal ion removal.
Keywords: magnetic nanoparticles; superparamagnetic; magnetic liquids; densimetric separation; medical applications; effluent processing; metal ion removal.
*Paper based on a presentation at the 3rd IUPAC Workshop on New Directions in Chemistry - Workshop on Nanostructured Advanced Materials (WAM III), Stellenbosch, South Africa, 5-9 September 2005. Other presentations are published in this issue, pp. 1619-1801.