Compositions Containing Rare Earth Oxides and Precious Metals for Biological Contaminant Removal

An antimicrobial composition comprising:

• (a) about 99.95 wt % to about 50 wt % of a particulate oxide composition comprising:
• cerium oxide;
• trivalent dopant selected from the group consisting of yttrium (Y), lanthanum (La), neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), and mixtures thereof;
• and
• optionally an additional oxide selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), silicon (Si) and mixtures thereof,
• wherein the cerium oxide being present in an amount greater than the trivalent dopant and wherein the average trivalent dopant to Ce ratio at about 0 nm to about 3.5 nm from the surface of the particulate oxide composition is greater than the trivalent dopant to Ce ratio at about 15 nm from the surface of the particulate composition;
• and
• (b) precious metals dispersed on the surface of the particulate oxide composition, wherein the precious metals are selected from the group consisting of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), silver (Ag), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), ruthenium (Ru), gold (Au), osmium (Os), rhodium (Rh), and mixtures thereof.