Recent Applications of Magnetic Nanoparticles in Food Analysis

Abstract

Nanotechnology has become a topic of interest due to the outstanding advantages that the use of nanomaterials offers in many fields. Among them, magnetic nanoparticles (m-NPs) have been one of the most widely applied in recent years. In addition to the unique features of nanomaterials in general, which exclusively appear at nanoscale, these present magnetic or paramagnetic properties that result of great interest in many applications. In particular, in the area of food analysis the use of these nanomaterials has undergone a considerable increase since they can be easily separated from the matrix in sorbent-based extractions, providing a considerable simplification of the procedures. This allows reducing cost and giving fast responses, which is essential in the food trade to guarantee consumer safety. These materials can also be easily tunable, providing higher selectivity. Moreover, their particular electrical, thermal and optical characteristics allow enhancing sensor signals, increasing the sensitivity of the approaches based on this type of device. The aim of this review article is to summarise the most remarkable applications of m-NPs in food analysis in the last five years (2016–2020) showing a general view of the use of such materials in the field.

Magnetic characterization techniques and micromagnetic simulations of magnetic nanostructures: from zero to three dimensions

“…The majority of 0D MNs consist of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) of diverse geometries, including spheres, cubes, cuboctahedra, irregular particles, and others. As 0D MNs in all three dimensions at the nanoscale exhibit unique magnetic properties (single-domain states and magnetic interactions), they are utilised in a variety of technological applications, including storage devices, 54 food analysis, 55 environmental processing, 56 and biomedicine. 57 Numerous studies have been devoted to the correlation between the magnetic properties of MNPs and their morphological structure and chemical parameters.…”

Metallic Nanoparticles in the Food Sector: A Mini-Review

“…Magnetic Fe-NPs have been used as colorants and sources of bioavailable iron. Many works report the combination of FeO-NPs with carbon nanotubes [123] or other matrices as extraction sorbents in food analysis [156,157]. Magnetic MNPs have been used for the analysis of inorganic and organic compounds in milk, fruit, oil, cereal-based products, beverages, eggs, cacao, and honey, among others [155][156][157].…”

Design, Preparation, and Application of Magnetic Nanoparticles for Food Safety Analysis: A Review of Recent Advances

“…The special advantages of micro- and nanoscale solvents and adsorbents greatly facilitate the contact of the sample and adsorbents by offering surprisingly high surface-to-mass ratios, biocompatibility, surface printability, chemical stability, and desirable dispersibility . That is why more and more modern microextraction techniques such as dispersive liquid phase micro-extractions (DLPMEs), solid phase microextractions (SPMEs), solid phase extraction disposable cartridges, and dispersive microsolid-phase extractions (DMSPEs) became popular. − During the past decade, smart materials such as magnetic nanoparticles, upconversion nanoparticles, ionic liquids, and click nanoparticles were developed and a leading trend toward high-efficiency, versatile, noninvasive, green chemistry-based purification and extraction techniques gradually emerged …”

“…11−13 During the past decade, smart materials such as magnetic nanoparticles, upconversion nanoparticles, ionic liquids, and click nanoparticles were developed 14 and a leading trend toward high-efficiency, versatile, noninvasive, green chemistry-based purification and extraction techniques gradually emerged. 15 Among all the smart materials, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), especially superparamagnetic nanoparticles, draw much attention due to their unique controllable properties. MNPs have strong magnetic responsiveness, under the influence of the external magnetic field, magnetic particles can be quickly retrieved from complicated sample matrices.…”