Application of magnetic nanoparticles for magnetic solid-phase extraction in preparing biological, environmental and food samples

The need to obtain meaningful results as the basis for determining the content of trace amounts of analytes has become the driving force behind the development of modern analytical techniques, including sample-preparation techniques, such as solid-phase extraction (SPE). Recently, great interest was aroused in the use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in SPE. These materials exhibit high selectivity, and, in small amounts, can provide high recovery of analytes, even from large-volume samples. MNPs allow easy, rapid isolation of analytes using an external magnetic field. Simplicity in use, ease of surface modification and the versatility of MNPs mean that they are now widely used in many fields, including biotechnology, medicine and analytical chemistry. In magnetic SPE, these materials provide effective isolation and/or enrichment of the analytes, from samples with complex matrices (e.g. biological, environmental and food samples).