Patent ID: 6841142

Claim:
A method for bulk synthesis of long nanotubes of a transition metal chalcogenide from a transition metal material, water vapor and H 2 X gas or H 2 gas and X vapor, wherein X is S, Se or Te, comprising: a) either heating a transition metal material in the presence of water vapor in a vacuum apparatus or evaporating a transition metal material in the presence of water vapor by an electron beam, at a suitable pressure, to obtain nanoparticles of the transition metal oxide; b) elongating the transition metal oxide nanoparticles of step (a); and c) annealing the transition metal oxide nanoparticles obtained in step (b) in a reducing atmosphere with a H 2 X gas or H 2 gas and X vapor, wherein X is S, Se or Te, at a suitable temperature, thus obtaining long nanotubes of the transition metal chalcogenide.