Patent ID: 7524481

Claim:
A synthetic method of production of WS 2 fullerene-like nanoparticles and nanostructures from WO 3 metal oxide powder and H 2 and H 2 S reacting gases, said method comprising the steps of: (i) feeding a first mixture of a reacting tungsten oxide powder and an inert gas with a predetermined feeding rate downwardly into the top of a vertical flow line extending into the inside of a vertical chemical reactor such that a lower end of the vertical flow line is located inside the vertical chemical reactor, and providing a flow of a mixture of the H 2 and H 2 S reacting gases along said vertical chemical reactor, so as to allow interaction of the flowing tungsten oxide powder and the reacting gases in a reaction path located in the vertical chemical reactor; (ii) controlling temperature inside the chemical reactor so as to provide a predetermined temperature profile along the reaction path; and (iii) collecting the formed WS 2 nanostructures at a bottom portion of the vertical reactor, the method thereby providing a solid-gas reaction between the reacting gases and the tungsten oxide powder during the flow through and along the reaction path, resulting in the formation of WO 3-x , clusters coated by at least one layer of WS 2 , and further exchange of oxides by sulfides in inner parts of the clusters, thereby causing formation of WS 2 nanostructures.