TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: In the process two electrodes are in contact with the liquid electrolyte, where one electrode is composed of the solid starting material and only to the electrode a cathodic potential is applied. The nanoparticles are separated from the liquid electrolyte, where separation is performed by means of centrifugal force to obtain a phase rich in nanoparticles and a phase of electrolyte, re-using the electrolyte in the process, diluting the phase rich in nanoparticles with water and redispersion by sonication.The liquid electrolyte comprises water. Preferred Components: The metal or metals are elements of group 3-15. The metal is yttrium, titanium, vanadium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, silver, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, aluminum, silicon, gallium, germanium, arsenic, indium, tin, antimony, tellurium, thallium, lead or bismuth. The solid starting metal is an alloy of at least two metals, where the alloy is tin silver, tin silver copper (both preferred), platinum nickel, platinum iridium, platinum rhodium, platinum ruthenium, platinum cobalt, platinum molybdenum, platinum gold, platinum silver, platinum ruthenium molybdenum, platinum iron, gold copper, platinum copper, platinum osmium, platinum tin, platinum bismuth, copper nickel, cobalt nickel, silver copper, silver gold or nickel tin. The stabilizing cation is an alkali, alkaline earth, ammonium or an alkyl ammonium cation. EXAMPLE - Platinum wire (100 mu m diameter) having a purity of 99.99 wt.% was submerged by 1 mm in an aqueous solution containing 10 M sodium hydroxide. The solution was prepared with ultrapure water and sodium hydroxide. For 1000 seconds cathodic potential of -10V direct current was maintained. Vitreous carbon was used as anode to rule out the possibility of formation of interfering species by anode dissolution. The platinum wire was rinsed with ultrapure water, to obtain the nanoparticles.