Amorphous and sheet dichalcogenides of Group IVb, Vb, molybdenum and tungsten

Claim 2

A composition of the formula MX 2 which is amorphous to X-rays, wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Group IVb, Group Vb, molybdenum and tungsten transition metals and X is a chalcogen selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium and tellurium.

Claim 3

The amphorous compositions of claim 1 wherein M is molybdenum and X is sulfur.

Claim 4

The amorphous compositions of claim 1 wherein M is niobium and X is sulfur.

Claim 5

The amorphous compositions of claim 1 wherein M is vanadium and X is sulfur.

Claim 6

A composition of the formula Z(MX 2 ) n wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Group IVb, Vb, molybdenum and tungsten, X is a chalcogen selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium and tellurium and n is at least 20,000, the formula (MX 2 ) n representing a single sheet of the material (MX 2 ) and Z is the number of such sheets from 1 to 10 existing in a stack, wherein the sheet or stack of sheets have the dimensions of about 6.2 to 62 A in thickness, at least about 500 A in length and at least about 500 A in width.

Claim 7

A composition of the formula Z(MX 2 ) n wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Group IVb, Vb, molybdenum and tungsten, X is a chalcogen selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium and tellurium and n is at least 20,000, the formula (MX 2 ) n representing a single sheet of the material (MX 2 ) and Z is the number of such sheets from 1 to 10 existing in a stack, wherein the sheet or stack of sheets have the dimensions of about 6.2 to 62 A in thickness, at least about 500 A in length and at least about 500 A in width.

Claim 8

The composition of claims 5 wherein the sheet or stack of sheets are from about 6.2 to 62 A in thickness, at least about 1000 A in length and at least about 1000 A in width, and n is about 80,000.

Claim 9

The composition of claim 6 wherein M is molybdenum and X is sulfur.

Claim 10

The composition of claim 6 wherein M is titanium and X is sulfur.

Claim 11

The composition of claim 6 wherein M is niobium and X is sulfur.

Claim 12

Homogeneous dispersions of metal chalcogenides of the formula MX 2 wherein M is a transition metal selected from the group consisting of Group IVb, Vb, molybdenum and tungsten transition metals and X is a chalcogen selected fromthe group consisting of sulfur, selenium, and tellurium prepared by mixing in the presence of a non-aqueous, aprotic polar organic solvent at at temperature of between -78° to 400° C.: a. metal salts, the metal being selected from the group consisting of Group IVb, Group Vb, molybdenum and tungsten transition metals, and b. sources of sulfide, selenide or telluride ion, wherein said sources are selected from the group consisting of Li 2 X, Na 2 X, K 2 X, LiHX, NaHX, KHX, (NH 4 ) 2 X, (NH 4 )HX, (RNH 3 ) 2 X, (RR'NH 2 ) 2 X, (RR'R"NH) 2 X wherein R, R' and R" are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of C 1 to C 20 alkyl and C 6 to C 20 aryl groups and X is the chalcogen selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium, and tellurium.

Claim 13

Homogeneous dispersions of metal chalcogenides of the formula MX 2 wherein M is a transition metal selected from the group consisting of Group IVb, Vb, molybdenum and tungsten transition metals and X is a chalcogen selected fromthe group consisting of sulfur, selenium, and tellurium prepared by mixing in the presence of a non-aqueous, aprotic polar organic solvent at at temperature of between -78° to 400° C.: a. metal salts, the metal being selected from the group consisting of Group IVb, Group Vb, molybdenum and tungsten transition metals, and b. sources of sulfide, selenide or telluride ion, wherein said sources are selected from the group consisting of Li 2 X, Na 2 X, K 2 X, LiHX, NaHX, KHX, (NH 4 ) 2 X, (NH 4 )HX, (RNH 3 ) 2 X, (RR'NH 2 ) 2 X, (RR'R"NH) 2 X wherein R, R' and R" are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of C 1 to C 20 alkyl and C 6 to C 20 aryl groups and X is the chalcogen selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium, and tellurium.

Claim 14

The homogeneous dispersions prepared as in claim 10 wherein the polar organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of propylene carbonate, dimethylformamide, pyridine, acetonitrile, benzonitrile, propionitrile, 1,2 demethoxyethane, diglyme and N-methyl formamide.

Claim 15

The homogeneous dispersions prepared as in claim 10 or 11 wherein the reaction temperature ranges from between 25° to 300° C.

Claim 16

The homogeneous dispersion prepared as in claims 10 or 11 wherein the chalcogen is sulfur.

Claim 17

The homogeneous dispersions prepared as in claims 10 or 11 further comprising the deposition of said homogeneous dispersion on high surface area supports, said supports being selected from the group consisting of high surface area refractory oxides and high surface area carbon.

Claim 18

The supported homogeneous dispersions prepared as in claim 14 wherein the high surface area supports are selected from the group consisting of CAO, MgO, Al 2 O 3 , silica-alumina and high surface area carbon.

Claim 19

The homogeneous dispersion prepared as in claim 10 or 11 wherein the anion of the metal salt is selected from the group comprising halides, sulfates, nitrates, carboxylates, perfluorocarboxylates wherein the carbonaceous moiety of the anion is a C 1 to C 8 hydrocarbon or fluorocarbon radical.

Claim 20

An electric current-producing cell, comprising: (a) an anode having as its anode-active material one or more metals selected from the group consisting of Group IA metals, Group IB metals, Group IIA metals and Group IIB metals of the Periodic Table of the Elements; (b) a cathode having as its cathode active material one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of amorphous MX 2 wherein M is a Group IVB, Group VB, molybdenum or tungsten transition metal and X is a chalcogen selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenum and lithium which MX 2 material is prepared by the method comprising reacting at a temperature of between -78° to 400° C; (i) metal salts, the metal being selected from the group consisting of Group IVB, Group VB, molybdenum and tungsten transition metals, and (ii) sources of sulfide, selenide or lelluride ion, wherein said sources are selected from the group consisting of Li 2 X, Na 2 X, K 2 X, LiHX, NaHX, KHX, (NH 4 ) 2 X, (NH 4 )HX, (RNH 3 ) 2 X, (RR'NH 2 ) 2 X, (RR'R"NH) 2 X wherein R, R' and R" are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of C 1 to C 20 alkyl and C 10 to C 20 aryl groups and X is the chalcogen selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium and tellurium, reactants (i) and (ii) being reacted in the absence of an aqueous-protic solvent. (iii) an electrolyte which is chemically inert with respect to said anode and said cathode and which permits the migration of ions between said anode and said cathode.

Claim 21

An electric current-producing cell, comprising: (a) an anode having as its anode-active material one or more metals selected from the group consisting of Group IA metals, Group IB metals, Group IIA metals and Group IIB metals of the Periodic Table of the Elements; (b) a cathode having as its cathode active material one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of amorphous MX 2 wherein M is a Group IVB, Group VB, molybdenum or tungsten transition metal and X is a chalcogen selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenum and lithium which MX 2 material is prepared by the method comprising reacting at a temperature of between -78° to 400° C; (i) metal salts, the metal being selected from the group consisting of Group IVB, Group VB, molybdenum and tungsten transition metals, and (ii) sources of sulfide, selenide or lelluride ion, wherein said sources are selected from the group consisting of Li 2 X, Na 2 X, K 2 X, LiHX, NaHX, KHX, (NH 4 ) 2 X, (NH 4 )HX, (RNH 3 ) 2 X, (RR'NH 2 ) 2 X, (RR'R"NH) 2 X wherein R, R' and R" are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of C 1 to C 20 alkyl and C 10 to C 20 aryl groups and X is the chalcogen selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium and tellurium, reactants (i) and (ii) being reacted in the absence of an aqueous-protic solvent. (iii) an electrolyte which is chemically inert with respect to said anode and said cathode and which permits the migration of ions between said anode and said cathode.

Claim 22

The electric current producing cell of claim 17 wherein the MX 2 material is amorphous VS 2 , MoS 2 or TiS 2 .

Claim 23

The electric current producing cell of claim 17 wherein the MX 2 material is amorphous VS 2 .

Claim 24

The electric current producing cell of claim 17 wherein the MX 2 material is amorphous MoS 2 .

Claim 25

The electric current producing cell of claim 17, 18, 19 or 20 wherein the amorphous MX 2 material is prepared in the absence of a non-aqueous solvent selected from the group consisting of acetonitule benzonitule, propronitule, acetone, C 1 -C 20 aryl-halides 1,2 demethoxyelhane, deqlyne, N-methyl formamide, dimethylformamide, aromatics of C 6 -C 30 amines, C 5 -C 12 alkanes, C 4 -C 8 ethers, propylene carbonate C 4 -C 8 esters, molten sulfur, sulfur dioxide.

Claim 26

The electric current producing cell of claims 17, 18, 19 or 20 wherein said anode has as its anode active material one or more metals selected from the Group IA metals.

Claim 27

The electric current producing cell of claims 17, 18, 19 or 20 wherein the anode has lithium as its anode active material.

Claim 28

The electric current producing cell of claim 21 wherein the anode has lithium as its anode active material.

Claim 29

The electric current producing cell of claim 17 wherein the anion of the metal salt of (b) (i) is selected from the group comprising halides, sulfates, nitrates, carboxylates, perfluorocarboxylates wherein the carbonaceous moiety of the anion is a C 1 to C 8 hydrocarbon or fluorocarbon radical.