NOVELTY - Preparation of a cobalt-molybdenum-sulfide composition (I), comprises: dissolving ammonium dimolybdate, in aqueous ammonia; combining hydrogen sulfide with at least some of the obtained molybdate solution; combining a cobalt (II) solution with at least some of the obtained tetrathiomolybdate solution to form a first precipitate within a suspension; combining sulfuric acid with at least some of the suspension, to form a second precipitate; and filtering, and thermally processing the filter cake to produce a calcined material comprising cobalt, molybdenum, and sulfur.    USE - (I) is useful as a catalyst for the chemical conversion of synthesis gas to alcohols such as ethanol.    ADVANTAGE - (I) has high selectivity to convert syngas into 1-4C alcohols, preferably 10-60% or higher to methanol and 10-50% or higher to ethanol. The method is economical for producing 1-4C alcohol.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Preparation of a cobalt-molybdenum-sulfide composition (I), comprises: (i) dissolving ammonium dimolybdate, in aqueous ammonia, for producing a molybdate solution; (ii) combining hydrogen sulfide with at least some of the molybdate solution, for producing a tetrathiomolybdate solution comprising ((MoS4)2-); (iii) combining a cobalt (Co(II)) solution with at least some of the tetrathiomolybdate solution to form a first precipitate within a suspension; (iv) combining sulfuric acid with at least some of the suspension, to form a second precipitate; (v) filtering the second precipitate, where the filtering removes a portion of water present in the second precipitate, for creating a filter cake; and (vi) thermally processing the filter cake to produce a calcined material comprising cobalt, molybdenum, and sulfur, where step (vi) includes drying the filter cake in a substantially inert environment to produce a dried material and calcining the dried material to produce the calcined material. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for producing at least one 1-4C alcohol (II), comprising: steps (i)-(vi), combining the calcined material with a base promoter comprising alkali or alkaline earth series for producing a base-promoted catalyst; and reacting syngas over the base-promoted catalyst to produce at least one 1-4C alcohol.