Deep Eutectic Solvent Applications in Metal Recovery
Summary
Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as a versatile class of designer solvents for sustainable metal recovery, combining a hydrogen-bond acceptor (typically a quaternary ammonium salt) with a hydrogen-bond donor (such as a polyol or organic acid) to yield liquids with tailored acidity, polarity and viscosity. These properties can be tuned to target specific metal speciation and solvation phenomena, enabling selective leaching and separation of critical metals from primary ores and secondary wastes. In contrast to aggressive mineral acids, DESs offer reduced toxicity and enhanced biodegradability while maintaining competitive extraction efficiencies. Key processes include solid–liquid leaching of metal oxides under mild conditions, liquid–liquid extraction to partition metal-laden phases, and electrochemical recovery from DES media—a paradigm sometimes termed ionometallurgy. Applications range from the recovery of platinum group metals and rare earth elements for clean-energy technologies to the extraction of copper, nickel and cobalt from low-grade sulphide minerals and electronic waste. The integration of DESs into circular-economy frameworks emphasises solvent regeneration, cascading leach protocols and valorisation of waste streams. Nevertheless, practical deployment demands optimisation of parameters such as viscosity control, mass transfer enhancement, solvent recyclability and scale-up of unit operations.
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Deep Eutectic Solvent Applications in Metal Recovery publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in deep eutectic solvent applications in metal recovery across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Deep eutectic solvent (DES): A eutectic mixture of a hydrogen-bond acceptor and donor that exhibits a melting point significantly lower than its individual constituents.
Solvometallurgy: A branch of hydrometallurgy employing non-aqueous solvents for metal extraction and separation.
Solid–liquid extraction: A process in which solid feedstocks are contacted with a solvent to dissolve target metals.
Liquid–liquid extraction: A separation technique based on differential solubility of metal complexes in two immiscible liquid phases.
Cavitation: The formation and violent collapse of vapour bubbles in a liquid, often induced by ultrasound, which enhances mass transfer and reaction kinetics.
References
- (Deep) eutectic solvents for the separation of platinum group metals and rare earth elements: Characteristics, extraction mechanisms and state of the art. Chemical Engineering Journal (2025).
- Assessing metal extraction from metalliferous waste: A study using deep eutectic solvents and chelating agents vs. ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Journal of Environmental Management (2024).
- The application of deep eutectic solvent ionic liquids for environmentally-friendly dissolution and recovery of precious metals. Minerals Engineering (2016).
- Ultra-fast extraction of metals from a printed circuit board using high power ultrasound in a calcium chloride-based deep eutectic solvent. RSC Sustainability (2024).
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