Quantitative information on the molybdenum containing species produced by the reaction of aqueous cyanide with the amorphous molybdenum sulfide MoS3 has been obtained from extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) studies. The results of this chemical excision study, in which Mo–Mo bonded triangular clusters are extracted from the solid, suggest that 70% of the molybdenum present in MoS3 is found in Mo3 clusters. This result is consistent with earlier diffraction and EXAFS experiments, but rules out the simplistic models proposed in those studies.
