Process for producing a copper thiometallate or a selenometallate material

A method for producing a thiometallate or selenometallate material, comprising:

• mixing a first salt and a second salt in an aqueous mixture under anaerobic conditions, where, during mixing the aqueous mixture has a temperature of from 15° C. to 150° C., and wherein the first salt comprises a cationic component containing one or more metals selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, and mixtures thereof and comprises an anionic component containing a metal selected from the group consisting of Mo and W where the anionic component is selected from the group consisting of MoS42−, MoSe42−, WS42−, WSe42−, and mixtures thereof, and wherein the second salt comprises a cationic component comprising copper in any non-zero oxidation state, where the first and second salts are soluble in the aqueous mixture;
• separating a solid material from the aqueous mixture comprising a) the metal of the anionic component of the first salt;
• and b) copper, wherein at least a portion of the solid material separated from the aqueous mixture has a structure according to a formula selected from the group consisting of formula (I), formula (II), formula (III), and formula (IV):
• where M is either copper or the metal of the anionic component of the first salt;
• at least one M is copper and at least one M is the metal of the anionic component of the first salt;
• and Q is either sulfur or selenium;
• where M is either copper or the metal of the anionic component of the first salt, at least one M is copper and at least one M is the metal of the anionic component of the first salt, X is selected from the group consisting of SO4, PO4, oxalate (C2O4), acetylacetonate, acetate, citrate, tartrate, Cl, Br, I, ClO4, ClO3, and NO3, and Q is either sulfur or selenium;
• where M is either copper or the metal of the anionic component of the first salt, at least one M is copper and at least one M is the metal of the anionic component of the first salt, X is selected from the group consisting of SO4, PO4, oxalate (C2O4), acetylacetonate, acetate, citrate, tartrate, Cl, Br, I, ClO3, ClO4, and NO3, and Q is either sulfur or selenium;
• where M is either copper or the metal of the anionic component of the first salt, at least one M is copper and at least one M is the metal of the anionic component of the first salt, X is selected from the group consisting of SO4, PO4, oxalate (C2O4), acetylacetonate, acetate, citrate, tartrate, Cl, Br, I, ClO3, ClO4, and NO3, and Q is either sulfur or selenium.