Abstract：Based on the application potential of magnetic fluids in many fields and related research results, the latest progress of magnetic fluids is reviewed. Meanwhile, the stability and magnetism are the focus of investigation, and the preparation methods are evaluated and prospected. Because of its low cost, simple operation and admirable stability of magnetic fluid, chemical co-precipitation method is the key point of futureresearch, while it is necessary to overcome the problem that the magnetic particles have the tendency to agglomerate. Compared with other oil-based magnetic fluids, fluoroether oil-based magnetic fluids have relatively high-temperature resistance and can be applyied for lubrication and sealing in harsh environments, which will become an important research direction. Non-toxic, monodisperse and stable water-based magnetic fluids have vital applications in biomedical fields such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) , thereby havig considerable prospects for development.

Keywords：magnetic fluid; chemical co-precipitation method; fluoroether oil-based; water-based