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 MoS 4 2-, MoSe 4 2-, WS 4 2-, WSe 4 2-, 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, formula, formula, and formula: 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 SO 4, PO 4, oxalate (C 2 O 4), acetylacetonate, acetate, citrate, tartrate, Cl, Br, I, ClO 4, ClO 3, and NO 3, 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 SO 4, PO 4, oxalate (C 2 O 4), acetylacetonate, acetate, citrate, tartrate, Cl, Br, I, ClO 3, ClO 4, and NO 3, 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 SO 4, PO 4, oxalate (C 2 O 4), acetylacetonate, acetate, citrate, tartrate, Cl, Br, I, ClO 3, ClO 4, and NO 3, and Q is either sulfur or selenium. 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 MoS 4 2-, MoSe 4 2-, WS 4 2-, WSe 4 2-, 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, formula, formula, and formula: 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 SO 4, PO 4, oxalate (C 2 O 4), acetylacetonate, acetate, citrate, tartrate, Cl, Br, I, ClO 4, ClO 3, and NO 3, 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 SO 4, PO 4, oxalate (C 2 O 4), acetylacetonate, acetate, citrate, tartrate, Cl, Br, I, ClO 3, ClO 4, and NO 3, 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 SO 4, PO 4, oxalate (C 2 O 4), acetylacetonate, acetate, citrate, tartrate, Cl, Br, I, ClO 3, ClO 4, and NO 3, and Q is either sulfur or selenium.