Compositions for chemical and biological defense

A composition, comprising a substrate, a cluster, and a reactive group, wherein

• the cluster comprises ceria, silica, titania, or an iron oxide;
• the reactive group comprises an oximate, an iodosobenzoate, an iodoxybenzoate, an amidooxime, a hydroxamate, an imidazole, an amine, a peroxide, a guanidine, a nucleophile, an oxidant, or a bactericide;
• a bond connects the cluster to the substrate;
• and
• a linker connects the substrate to the reactive group.

A method of making a modified substrate,

• comprising the step of reacting under sol-gel conditions a substrate with pendant hydroxyl or amino groups with a compound comprising a cluster tethered via a tether to a reactive group;
• or
• comprising the step of reacting a substrate with pendant hydroxyl or amino groups with a ceria, silica, titania, or an iron oxide, thereby forming a cluster bonded to said substrate;
• and reacting said cluster with a compound having a reactive group, thereby tethering the reactive group to the cluster via a tether,
• wherein
• the cluster comprises ceria, silica, titania, or an iron oxide;
• the reactive group comprises an oximate, an iodosobenzoate, an iodoxybenzoate, an amidooxime, a hydroxamate, an imidazole, an amine, a peroxide, a guanidine, a nucleophile, an oxidant, or a bactericide.

A method for the hydrolysis of a compound which contains at least one oxidized phosphorus group or killing a bacterium, comprising the step of contacting said compound or said bacterium with a composition for sufficient time to hydrolyze at least some of the oxidized phosphorus groups in said compound or to kill the bacterium,

• wherein
• said composition comprises a substrate, a cluster, and a reactive group;
• the cluster comprises ceria, silica, titania, or an iron oxide;
• the reactive group comprises an oximate, an iodosobenzoate, an iodoxybenzoate, an amidooxime, a hydroxamate, an imidazole, an amine, a peroxide, a guanidine, a nucleophile, an oxidant, or a bactericide;
• a bond connects the cluster to the substrate;
• and
• a linker connects the cluster to the reactive group, a second bond connects the cluster to the reactive group, or a linker connects the substrate to the reactive group.