Increased stability low concentration gases, products comprising same, and methods of making same

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a) a container having an internal space and a passivated internal metal surface;
• b) a composition contained within the internal space and in contact with the passivated internal metal surface, wherein
• i) the composition comprises a reactive gas and a matrix gas, the reactive gas being selected from the group consisting of nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, and mixtures thereof, and
• ii) the reactive gas has a concentration in the composition of no more than 1 part per million in the matrix gas, the concentration being substantially maintained;
• c) the passivated internal metal surface comprising:
• 1) the reaction product of a silicon-containing material and an oxygen-containing material selected from the group consisting of moisture, molecular oxygen, metal oxides, and mixtures thereof, and
• 2) an amount of the reactive gas adsorbed on the reaction product, the amount resultant from previous exposure of the reaction product to a high concentration of the reactive gas before evacuation of the high concentration reactive gas from the internal space prior to filling the internal space with the composition, the high concentration being many times the concentration of reactive gas being substantially maintained.