Method for magnetically supported extraction

1. A method for magnetically assisted extraction of a target substance from an aqueous solution containing a plurality of components, the method comprising:

mixing a surfactant and functional magnetic particles having affinity for the target substance into the aqueous solution containing the target substance so as to bind the target substance to the functional magnetic particles and form a particle-containing single-phase aqueous surfactant solution;

transitioning the particle-containing single-phase aqueous surfactant solution to a two-phase state, a first particle- and surfactant-containing disperse phase being formed within a surrounding second phase, an absorption capacity of the first particle- and surfactant-containing disperse phase being lower for unbound dissolved functional magnetic particles than that of the surrounding second phase;

separating the first particle- and surfactant-containing disperse phase and the surrounding second phase using a magnetic field; and

separating the first particle- and surfactant-containing disperse phase.

2. The method recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

adding an aqueous elution buffer to the first particle- and surfactant-containing disperse phase so as to form a mixture;

transitioning the mixture to a single-phase state solution so as to separate the target substance from the functional magnetic particles;

transitioning the single-phase state solution to a two-phase state solution, a first phase containing the target substance and a second phase containing the magnetic particles; and

separating the first phase containing the target substance and the second phase containing the magnetic particles using a magnetic field.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the functional magnetic particles and the surfactant are mixed in parallel into the aqueous solution containing the target substance.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein first the functional magnetic particles and then the surfactant are mixed serially into the aqueous solution containing the target substance.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising magnetically separating the functional magnetic particles bound to the target substance from the first particle- and surfactant-containing disperse phase after the first particle- and surfactant-containing disperse phase is separated from the surrounding second phase.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the transitioning includes changing a temperature.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the transitioning includes changing a pH value of the solution.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the transitioning includes changing an ionic strength.

9. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the transitioning of the mixture to a single-phase state solution includes changing a temperature.

10. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the transitioning of the mixture to a single-phase state solution includes changing a pH value of the solution.

11. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the transitioning of the mixture to a single-phase state solution includes changing an ionic strength.

12. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the transitioning of the single-phase state solution to a two-phase solution includes changing a temperature.

13. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the transitioning of the single-phase state solution to a two-phase solution includes changing a pH value of the solution.

14. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the transitioning of the single-phase state solution to a two-phase solution includes changing an ionic strength.