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Abstract

A method for the preparation of nanoparticles of metal oxides containing inserted metal particles and to metal-intercalated and/or metal-encaged 'inorganic fullerene-like' (hereinafter IF) structures of metal chalcogenides obtained therefrom is provided, which comprises heating a metal I material with water vapor or electron beam evaporation of said metal I material with water or another suitable solvent, in the presence of a metal II salt, and recovering the metal II-doped metal I oxide, or proceeding to subsequent sulfidization, yielding bulk quantities of metal II-intercalated or metal II-encaged IF structures of the metal I chalcogenide. The metal II salt is preferably an alkaline, alkaline earth or transition metal salt, most preferably an alkali chloride. The intercalated and/or encaged IF structures are usable as lubricants. They also form stable suspensions, e.g. in alcohol, and electrophoretic deposition from said suspensions yields thin films of the intercalated IF materials, which have a range of potential applications.

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First Claim