The quest for effective demulsification materials is growing rapidly in the recent times. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are an attractive alternative of commercial demulsifiers mainly due to their recyclability and high surface area. Herein, the application of magnetic nanoparticles as demulsifying agents is reviewed. This review covers their synthesis and particularly focusses on how different factors impact the demulsification performance of MNPs. The dosage, pH, salinity, hydrophilicity, and shape of MNPs are key factors in designing a successful demulsifier. Regeneration and recyclability of MNPs after demulsification activity are discussed in detail. Likewise, the challenges associated with the usage of MNPs in the demulsification of emulsions are highlighted with recommendations. This review will serve as a quick means to compare recent literature on the various types of MNPs that have been applied for the demulsification activities. It is envisaged that the MNPs would be relevant in the petroleum and petrochemical industries for swift water removal from crude oil emulsions.

近年来，对有效的破乳材料的需求正在迅速增长。磁性纳米粒子（MNP）是商业上破乳剂的一种有吸引力的替代品，主要是因为它们具有可回收性和高表面积。在此，综述了磁性纳米粒子作为破乳剂的应用。这篇综述涵盖了它们的合成，尤其着重于不同因素如何影响MNP的破乳性能。MNP的剂量，pH，盐度，亲水性和形状是设计成功的破乳剂的关键因素。讨论了破乳活性后MNP的再生和可回收性。同样，建议中强调了与在乳液破乳中使用MNP相关的挑战。这篇综述将作为比较近来有关破乳活动中使用的各种类型MNPs文献的一种快速方法。可以设想，MNP在石油和石化行业中与从原油乳液中快速除水有关。