Process for producing a 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 first metal selected from the group consisting of Mo, W, and V where the anionic component is selected from the group consisting of MoS42−, MoSe42−, WS42−, WSe42−, VS43−, VSe43− and mixtures thereof, and wherein the second salt comprises a cationic component comprising a second metal in any non-zero oxidation state selected from the group consisting of Fe, Ag, Co, Mn, Re, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ir, Pt, B, Al, Ce, La, Pr, Sm, Eu, Yb, Lu, Dy, Ni, Zn, Bi, Sn, and mixtures thereof, where the first and second salts are soluble in the aqueous mixture;
• separating a solid material from the aqueous mixture comprising a) the first metal of the anionic component of the first salt;
• and b) the second metal of the cationic component of the second salt and containing at most 0.5 wt.% of the cationic component of the first salt, 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 the first metal or the second metal, and at least one M is the first metal and at least one M is the second metal, and Q is either sulfur or selenium;
• where M is either the first metal or the second metal, and at least one M is the first metal and at least one M is the second metal, Q is either sulfur or selenium, and X is selected from the group consisting of SO4, PO4, oxalate (C2O4), acetylacetonate, acetate, citrate, tartrate, Cl, Br, I, ClO4, and NO3;
• where M is either the first metal or the second metal, and at least one M is the first metal and at least one M is the second metal, Q is either sulfur or selenium, and X is selected from the group consisting of SO4, PO4, oxalate (C2O4), acetylacetonate, acetate, citrate, tartrate, Cl, Br, I, ClO4, and NO3;
• where M is either the first metal or the second metal, and at least one M is the first metal and at least one M is the second metal, Q is either sulfur or selenium, and X is selected from the group consisting of SO4, PO4, oxalate (C2O4), acetylacetonate, acetate, citrate, tartrate, Cl, Br, I, ClO4, and NO3.