Magnetic hybrid nanoparticles for improvements in analytical processes

Magnetic hybrid nanoparticles (MHNPs) are very interesting tools in analytical chemistry because they improve different steps of the analytical process. MHNPs contribute to sample preparation in terms of selectivity and sensitivity. They also simplify this often tedious and long step. Microextraction techniques have benefited to the point that magnetic solid phase extraction involves MHNPs as sorbents in almost all cases. In addition, they can improve resolution in chromatographic or electrophoretic separations, on which many analytical methods are based. Another critical step in which magnetic nanomaterials can be influential is detection, and new advantageous possibilities are being exploited. All these features are discussed in this chapter.