The interaction of reactive fluids with solid matter is not only relevant for the evolution of the Earth but also plays a key role in modern approaches to the recovery of critical raw materials from end-of-life electronic devices. This is important to enable the transition to a sustainable high-tech society that will become heavily reliant on solar panels, hydrogen fuel cells, electric motors, wind turbines, etc. However, hydrometallurgical recycling of the most valuable raw materials that are critical for green technologies such as the elements of the platinum group (PGEs) and the rare earth elements (REE), is challenging due to their slow reaction kinetics and low solubility in traditionally utilized mineral acids. Our research group, in collaboration with the Hasenstab-Riedel group , specializes in the determination of dissolution kinetics and downstream extraction procedures for various critical metals from end-of-life devices (e.g., computer scrap, permanent magnets, vehicle catalytic converter) using newly developed ionic liquids. This Urban Mining Project makes extensive use of the group’s state-of-the-art experimental and analytical facilities.