Method of making highly active metal oxide and metal sulfide materials

A method of making a mixed transition metal oxide material comprising MI, MII, MIII, and MIV, where:

• MI is optional and if present is a metal or mixture of metals selected from Group IB (IUPAC Group 11), Group IIB (IUPAC Group 12), Group VIIB (IUPAC Group 7), Group IIIA (IUPAC Group 13), Group IVA (IUPAC Group 14), and Group IVB (IUPAC Group 4);
• MII is a metal or a mixture of metals selected from Group VIII (IUPAC Groups 8, 9, and 10);
• MIII is a metal selected from Group VIB (IUPAC Group 6);
• MIV is a metal selected from Group VIB (IUPAC Group 6) which is different from MIII,
• the material further characterized by an x-ray diffraction pattern comprising the peaks in Table A:
• TABLE A
• 2θ (°)
• d (Å)
• 100(I/Io)
• 8-14
• 6.320-11.043
• vw
• 34.5-36.5
• 2.460-2.598
• vs
• 53-55
• 1.668-1.726
• s-vs
• 55-58
• 1.589-1.668
• w-m
• 58.5-62.5
• 1.485-1.576
• vw
• 62.8-63.8
• 1.458-1.478
• m
• wherein the peak at 2θ (°) of 55-58 has a full width at half maximum larger than 3°;
• the method comprising:
• (a) adding sources of MII, MIII, MIV, and optionally MI, to at least one quaternary ammonium hydroxide to form a slurry;
• (b) reacting the slurry at a temperature from about 25° C. to about 200° C. for a period from about 30 minutes to 200 hours to generate the mixed transition metal oxide material;
• and
• (c) recovering the mixed transition metal oxide material.