Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have attracted significant attention for a wide range of applications from biomedical, environmental to oil industries in the past a few decades, including magnetic labeling and tracking, magnetic concentration and separation, hyperthermia therapy and drug delivery, bio-imaging and diagnostics, etc. Surface coating and specific functionalization of the SPIONs are crucial to improve their stability and reduce their aggregation for the successful use of the nanoparticles. Numerous methods and types of materials have been studied and used in the surface coating of SPIONs for the needs of different applications. However, many of the well-established methods and procedures of surface coating chemistry for bio-applications do not work well at harsh environment such as high temperature and high salinity for environmental engineering and oil industrial applications. We have studied different strategies to optimize the functionalization to gain long-term colloidal stability for the SPIONs at harsh environment. In this review, different coating materials (organic and inorganic) and procedures (physical and chemical) are compared, and special attention is given to the selection of molecular anchors for the coating materials. Potential applications and challenges of the functionalized SPIONs as nanoagents for oil reservoir tracers and for oil-water separation are discussed.

Stabilization and functionalization of iron oxide colloidal nanoparticles for applications at harsh environment

2019 Fall National Meeting

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