Organically complexed nanocatalysts for improving combustion properties of fuels and fuel compositions incorporating such catalysts

A method of manufacturing a fuel composition having modified combustion properties, comprising:

• reacting together a plurality of active catalyst metal atoms and a dispersing agent to yield an intermediate catalyst complex,
• at least about 50% of said active catalyst metal atoms comprising one or more types of primary catalyst atoms selected from the group consisting of chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zirconium, tin, zinc, tungsten, titanium, molybdenum, and vanadium,
• said dispersing agent consisting essentially of a plurality of organic molecules complexed with at least a portion of said active catalyst metal atoms, each of said organic molecules having one or more functional groups capable of bonding to said active catalyst metal atoms, wherein the organic molecules are selected from the group consisting of formic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, glycolic acid, glucose, citric acid, and glycine,
• causing or allowing the intermediate catalyst complex to form organically complexed metal catalyst nanoparticles having a size less than about 1 micron, the organically complexed metal catalyst nanoparticles consisting essentially of the catalyst metal atoms and the organic molecules;
• and
• combining said organically complexed metal catalyst nanoparticles with a fuel substrate, the fuel substrate comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of tobacco, coal, briquetted charcoal, wood, biomass, fuel oil, diesel, jet fuel, gasoline, and distilled liquid hydrocarbons.

A fuel composition having modified combustion properties, comprising:

• a solid fuel substrate comprising at least one of coal, briquetted charcoal, wood, or biomass;
• and
• a plurality of organically complexed metal catalyst nanoparticles on and/or mixed with said solid fuel substrate, said metal catalyst nanoparticles having a size less than 1 micron, each metal catalyst nanoparticle consisting essentially of:
• a plurality of active catalyst atoms, at least about 50% of which comprise one or more types of primary catalyst atoms selected from the group consisting of chromium, zirconium, tin, tungsten, titanium, molybdenum, iron, nickel, cobalt, manganese, vanadium, copper, and zinc;
• and
• a dispersing agent consisting essentially of a plurality of organic molecules complexed with at least a portion of said active catalyst atoms of said metal catalyst nanoparticles, each of said organic molecules having one or more functional group capable of bonding to said active catalyst atoms, wherein the organic molecules are bonded to the metal catalyst nanoparticles, wherein the organic molecules are selected from the group consisting of formic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, glycolic acid, glucose, citric acid, and glycine, and
• wherein said dispersing agent forms a bond between at least some of said metal catalyst nanoparticles and said solid fuel substrate.