Iron oxide nanoparticles present outstanding properties that can be exploited in different aspect of biotechnology and biomedicine, such as platforms for drug delivery, contrast agents for imaging diagnosis or therapeutic probes [Controlling the size and shape of uniform magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications] and also in wastewater treatment, such as heavy metals and organic pollutants removal by ionic exchange or adsorption, and degradation of the contaminants by advanced oxidation processes, among others. In the field of alternative energies, they have also been used as catalysts for biofuels production from oil crops, in Fischer-Tropsch reactions for liquid hydrocarbons and many other processes with potential environmental impact [Magnetic Iron Oxide Colloids for Environmental Applications].
