Patent ID: 8518364

Claim:
An inorganic fullerene-like (IF) nanoparticle of the formula A 1−x -B x -chalcogenide, wherein B is incorporated within the A 1−x -chalcogenide, A being a metal or transition metal or an alloy of metals and/or transition metals, B being a metal or transition metal, and x being ≦0.3; provided that x is not zero and A≠B, and wherein the inorganic fullerene-like (IF) nanostructure has one of the following configurations: (a) A includes at least one of the following: Mo, W, Re, Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Pt, Ru, Rh, In, Ga, InS, InSe, GaS, GaSe, WMo, and TiW; (b) B is selected from the group consisting of Si, Nb, Ta, W, Mo, Sc, Y, La, Hf, Ir, Mn, Ru, Re, Os, Au, Rh, Pd, Cr, Co, Fe, and Ni; or (c) A includes at least one of the following: Mo, W, Re, Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Pt, Ru, Rh, In, Ga, InS, InSe, GaS, GaSe, WMo, and TiW; and B is selected from the group consisting of Si, Nb, Ta, W, Mo, Sc, Y, La, Hf, Ir, Mn, Ru, Re, Os, Au, Rh, Pd, Cr, Co, Fe, and Ni, wherein the A chalcogenide precursor is a semiconductor of a certain electrical conductivity, the IF-nanoparticle having a higher electrical conductivity that is controllable by doping with B.