Manufacture of Sub-oxides via Electrolysis

An electrolytic method for producing a material having the composition M jXk comprising a substance X and a metal, semi-metal, or alloy M , comprises the steps of:- arranging an electrode comprising a material having the composition M jX(k+1) in an electrolyte M Y comprising a fused salt or a mixture of salts, including one or more cations M applying to the electrode a negative potential lower than a deposition potential for the cation M at a surface of the electrode and such that the substance X dissolves in the electrolyte removing the electrode from the electrolyte when the material has been reduced to the composition M jXk. The process can be worked in reverse, and coupled forward and reverse reactions can be used.