Application of Magnetic Surfactants in Nanoparticle Fabrication

Abstract

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are a group of nanoparticles made from a magnetic material such as iron, chromium, manganese, cobalt or nickel and a chemical component that exhibit superparamagnetic properties. They have a wide range of applications in medicine, wastewater treatment and bioremediation, food industries, and molecular biology, among others, due to their size effects, surface-to-volume ratio, interaction, magnetic separation, specificity, and surface chemistry. However, the incorporation of amphiphilic surface active agents called surfactants into MNPs to serve as capping, structure-directing, ion-exchange, oxidation, and reduction agents is known to affect MNPs physicochemical properties including size, shape, dispersability, stability, surface charge, biocompatibility, optical properties, thermal properties, selectivity, cellular uptake, magnetic energy, functionality, and applicability. Thereby increasing their applications in drug delivery, cancer therapy, biosensors, diagnostic testing, bioimaging, water treatment, enhanced oil recovery, catalysis, energy storage, and information storage. This chapter addresses the mechanisms of synthesis of Magnetic Surfactant Nanoparticles (MSNPs), the roles of surfactants in MNPs fabrication, the influence of surfactants on the properties of MNPs, comparative performances and applications of MSNPs, cost analysis and future prospects, and likely challenges.