Possible use of room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) as chelate extraction solvent was evaluated by using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([bmim][PF6]), 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([hmim][PF6]) and 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([omim][PF6]). These RTILs showed high extraction performance for divalent metal cations with 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(2-thienyl)-1,3-butanedione (Htta). The extracted metals were back-extracted into 1moldm−3 nitric acid quantitatively. Furthermore, the extracted species were estimated as neutral hydrated complexes M(tta)2(H2O)n (n