TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The cobalt compound is selected from cobalt chloride or cobalt bromide. The nickel compound is selected from nickel chloride or nickel bromide. The iron compound is selected from iron chloride or iron bromide. The lithium borohydride or lithium aluminum hydride is initially dispersed in tetrahydrofuran.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The method additionally involves adding a cobalt compound (0.0001-0.1 M) to the mixture; adding a nickel compound (0.0001-0.1 M) to the mixture; adding an iron compound (0.0001-0.1 M) to the mixture; adding an alkyl compound (0.0001-0.1 M) to the mixture; adding 0.0001-0.1M of lithium borohydride or lithium aluminum hydride to the mixture. The molybdenum ethylhexanoate is initially dispersed in the 2-ethylhexanoic acid before combined with the lithium sulfide; and the lithium sulfide is initially dispersed in methanol before combined with the molybdenum ethylhexanoate. The method involves: providing a starting solution of molybdenum ethylhexanoate in 2-ethylhexanoic acid; diluting the starting solution in toluene; adding the lithium sulfide dispersed in methanol dropwise to the toluene-diluted solution, with stirring; letting stand overnight; and filtering to separate out the nanoscale particles of molybdenum disulfide. The method is performed at room temperature. The method further involves filtering the mixture after reacting to separate out the nanoscale particles of molybdenum disulfide. A method of synthesizing nanoscale particles of molybdenum disulfide involves: mixing molybdenum ethylhexanoate (0.00035 M), 2-ethylhexanoic acid (0.00027 M) and lithium sulfide (0.01 M), dispersed in at least one organic solvent, in an oxygen and moisture free environment with stirring; and further involves adding lithium borohydride (0.01 M); and adding dodecanethiol (0.01 M). A method of synthesizing mixed-metal nanoscale particles involves: mixing molybdenum ethylhexanoate (0.0014 M); nickel or cobalt ethylhexanoate (0.0010 M), 2-ethylhexanoic acid (0.0011 M), and lithium sulfide (0.01 M), dispersed in at least one solvent, in an oxygen and moisture free environment with stirring. Preferred Components: The cobalt compound is selected from cobalt 2-ethylhexanoate, cobalt naphthenate or dicobalt octacarbonyl (preferably cobalt 2-ethylhexanoate). The nickel compound is selected from nickel 2-ethylhexanoate, or nickel naphthenate. The iron compound is selected from iron 2-ethylhexanoate, or iron naphthenate. The alkyl compound is an alkyl thiol (preferably dodecanethiol), alkyl amine (preferably hexadecylamine), trioctylphosphine sulfide or trioctylphosphine oxide. The organic solvents comprise toluene. EXAMPLE - Mixing molybdenum ethylhexanoate (0.00035 M), 2-ethylhexanoic acid (0.00027 M) and lithium sulfide (0.01 M), in an inert atomosphere glovebox. A starting solution of 1.40 M molybdenum ethylhexanoate in 2-ethylhexanoic acid was diluted 1:100 in toluene. To the solution (0.125 ml) was added with stirring to toluene (3.875 ml). 1 ml of 0.05 M lithium sulfide in methanol solution was added dropwise with stirring. The solution was allowed to stand overnight minimum, and then filtered through 0.22 micron Teflon syringe filter. Dynamic light scattering indicates monodisperse 1.6 nm diameter particles were obtained.