Hmmmm, I hope I understand it right.

You want to save one material and not a colection?

One materia is a set of nodes to create that material.

Step 1: create the material you want (make a set of nodes to get the result you want)

Step 2: At the bottom of the material list in the material room you see a + Click on the + and you get a pop up screen.

Step 3: In the "New Material Set" screen, type in a name you want to give to your set and than select "Single Material" , this wil save only the nodes used for that material.

Step 4: Click OK and your set is saved. Now you can use that material on whatever you want to use it on.

If you click on "Material Collection" than you can choose and save a set of materials.
This set is using the names on the model/prop where the materials are applyed to.
In order to use a set of materials, you need a model/prop with the same names to apply the materials to.

I hope this is what you wanted to do.

I am not a complete idiot, some parts are missing :)

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