Iron-based magnetic nanomaterials in environmental and energy applications: a short review

Nanoparticles (NPs) have tremendously revolutionized multiple sectors of our society due to their ability to be used in diverse applications. Recently, iron-based magnetic nanoparticles (Fe-MNPs), have attracted enormous interest due to their salient use in several sectors, including energy, environmental, agricultural, medical, and industrial. This can be attributed to the unique chemical and physical properties of Fe-MNPs. These properties include high surface area, surface-to-volume ratio, superparamagnetism, and simple separation methodology. MNPs have been synthesized in surface chemistry applications by employing biological, chemical, and physical methods. This critical review discusses the latest development in the synthesis approaches of MNPs, including green synthesis, thermal decomposition, co-precipitation, hydrothermal technique, and polyol methodology. In addition, the review highlights the main applications of MNPs in the environmental and energy fields. Finally, an overview is given concerning the current challenges and future implications of using MNPs in various applications.