Inexpensive electrolyte systems and
readily available rare-earth
(RE) precursors are necessary for the facile recovery of RE metals
at the lowest temperature, which will allow the sustainable development
of RE metal-based industries. Inspired by previous reports on Nd electrodeposition
in various expensive and specialized ionic liquids (ILs), herein,
we developed a practical, green, and cost-effective Nd-containing
solvate IL composed of an organic solvent [(1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone)]
and Nd (CF3SO3)3; the IL is well
suited for Nd electrodeposition using LiNO3. The electrolyte
structure and electrochemical mechanism of the IL were elucidated
through physicochemical analyses and cyclic voltammetry. The role
of nitrate was investigated in detail. Nd was successfully electrodeposited
using the proposed method, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy,
energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses.
Thus, this work provides a firm theoretical basis and a practical
strategy for the cost-effective bulk electrochemical extraction of
RE metals at relatively low temperatures.