TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The step (a) comprises providing many precursor materials as liquid dispersions, solids or aerosols, where the precursor materials have at least one dimension of 10-20 mu m. The step (b) comprises flowing, for a reaction time, the continuous stream of carbon disulfide vapor in a carrier gas mixed with the precursor materials at 700-1000 degrees C. In the method (M1), the reaction time is at least 20 minutes. The method (M1) further comprises (c) adding the tungsten disulfide nanostructures to at least one of metals, ceramics or polymers to form the nanostructured composite material. The method (M2) further comprises: using the carrier gas comprising at least one argon or nitrogen, to create a plasma; and the step (c) as above per se. Preferred Components: The tungsten disulfide nanostructures comprise at least one nanostructural form including flakes, particles, fibers, tubes, rods, spheres (inorganic fullerene) (preferred) or octahedral crystals, where the inorganic fullerene includes inorganic fullerene-like-tungsten disulfide spherical nanoparticles or nanotubes. The tungsten reactant includes tungsten oxides or tungsten salts. The carrier gas: comprises at least one of argon or nitrogen; and further comprises hydrogen. The plasma system is microwave plasma, radio-frequency plasma or direct-current plasma, where the plasma system uses a pressure in the near atmospheric range. EXAMPLE - Tungsten(VI) oxide particles were placed in a ceramic boat inside a quartz tube into a tubular furnace. The system was then closed with stainless steel lids amid tubing connectors that directed argon stream into the quartz tube. The location of the precursor materials were coincided with the central heating zone of the furnace. Then a trap containing liquid carbon disulfide was then placed between the argon source and the furnace, in which the carbon disulfide vapor was carried with the argon stream into the quartz tube, and argon flow rate was adjusted to 6.27 standard liters/minute. The furnace was then heated to 750 degrees C with a constant supply of the argon and carbon disulfide mixture and the reaction of the tungsten(VI) oxide precursor nanoparticles with carbon disulfide vapor in the quartz tube was allowed to continue for 2 hours to obtain the tungsten disulfide flakes.