Electrodeposition of aluminum–magnesium alloys from an aluminum-containing solvate ionic liquid at room temperature

An aluminum-containing solvate ionic liquid, DMI–AlCl3 (1 M)–MgCl2 (0.5 M) was used as the electrolyte for magnesium electrodeposition. The results of Raman spectroscopy and 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicated the existence of aluminum-containing [AlCl4]- and [AlCl2(DMI)4]+ in the DMI–AlCl3 (1 M) system. When 0.5 M MgCl2 was added to DMI–AlCl3, the Mg(II) species was [MgCl(DMI)n]+. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that a coating of Al3Mg2 can be prepared by potentiostatic electrodeposition at −1.45 V (vs. Al) at 323 K on a copper sheet cathode.