US Patent 8051859 - Sputter deposition of nanoparticles on cigarette paper

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8051859.html

This is the latest patent from Philip Morris covering a way to deposit nanoparticles during the fabrication of cigarette products in order to assist in the filtration of harmful gases such as carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for physical vapor deposition of nanoscale particles directly on a substrate comprising:

supporting the substrate in a chamber having a target;

forming nanoscale particles from the target; and

depositing the nanoscale particles directly on the substrate

wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of tobacco cut filler, cigarette paper and cigarette filter material.

US Patent 8006703 - In situ synthesis of composite nanoscale particles

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8006703.html

This patent from Philip Morris teaches a fabrication method for metal or metal oxide composite nanoparticles useful for the conversion of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide in smoking products (e.g. cigarettes, cigars). Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of making composite nanoscale particles comprising:

subjecting a starting material to laser energy so as to form a vapor and

condensing the vapor so as to form the composite nanoscale particles,

wherein said composite nanoscale particles comprise a first metal and/or a first metal oxide incorporated in nanoscale particles of an oxide of a second metal, the first metal being different than the second metal, wherein the second metal is selected from the group consisting of Mg, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ge, Y, Zr, Nb, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Sn, Ce, Pr, La, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir and Au, and wherein the starting material comprises the first metal oxide and/or the second metal oxide.

US Patent 7997281 - Reduction of carbon monoxide and nitric oxide in cigarettes using nanoparticles

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7997281.html

This patent from Philip Morris USA teaches how metal oxide nanoparticles can help convert carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide in cigarettes and other smoking products. Claim 1 reads:

1. A cigarette comprising a tobacco rod, cigarette paper and an optional filter, wherein at least one of the tobacco rod, cigarette paper and optional filter comprise nitrided transition metal oxide nanoscale particles and/or nitrided transition metal oxide clusters, and wherein the nanoscale particles and/or clusters comprise iron oxynitride.

US Patent 7677254 - Cigarettes including iron oxynitride nanoparticles

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7677254.html

This patent from Philip Morris teaches iron oxynitride nanoparticles used to reduce carbon monoxide and nitric oxide in cigarette smoke. Claim 1 reads:

1. A component of a smoking article comprising

nitrided transition metal oxide nanoscale particles and/or nitrided transition metal oxide clusters,

wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of tobacco cut filler, cigarette paper and cigarette filter material, and

wherein the nanoscale particles and/or clusters comprise iron oxynitride.

US Patent 7640936 - Nanoscale catalysts for cigarette CO reduction

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7640936.html

This patent is from Philip Morris and teaches metal oxide nanocatalysts for reducing carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke. Claim 1 reads:

1. A component of a smoking article comprising a multiphase mixed metal oxide catalyst consisting of sintered nanoparticles of at least two metal oxides selected from the group consisting of copper oxide, cerium oxide, titanium oxide and iron oxide, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of tobacco cut filler, cigarette paper and cigarette filter material.

US Patent 7569510 - Nanoparticle catalysts for CO reduction in cigarettes

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7569510.html

This patent from Philip Morris teaches a way to convert carbon monoxide in cigarettes to carbon dioxide using metal oxide nanoparticles in a porous support. Claim 1 reads:

1. A catalyst comprising noble metal nanoparticles on non-noble metal oxides incorporated in a porous support of mesoporous silica wherein the catalyst is catalytically active for oxidation of carbon monoxide and wherein the noble metal nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of gold, palladium, platinum and mixtures thereof and the non-noble metal oxides are selected from the group consisting of titania, alumina, ceria, zirconia, iron oxide, zinc oxide, magnesium oxide, and mixtures thereof.

US Patent 7547344 - Nanosized intermetallic powder barcode

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7547344.html

This patent from Philip Morris teaches a magnetic nanopowder barcode providing the capacity to print smaller lines of barcodes and providing increased sensitivities allowing for lower energies to be used in bar code readers. Claim 1 reads:

1. A magnetic bar code comprising nanosized intermetallic powder, the nanosized intermetallic powder comprising copper aluminide.

US Patent 7509961 - Nanofibril cigarettes

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7509961.html

This patent from Philip Morris teaches a way to manufacture cigarettes with less carbon monoxide in the smoke based on the use of nanofibrils for conversion of CO to CO2. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for forming nanostructured fibrils directly on a component of a cigarette comprising:

supporting a target in a chamber having first and second electrodes;

applying an electrical bias between the first and second electrodes to form electrical field lines between the electrodes;

supporting the cigarette component on the first electrode, and bombarding the target with energetic ions to form nanoscale particles from the target material that agglomerate with each other along the direction of the electrical field lines to form nanostructured fibrils on the cigarette component.

US Patent 7165553 - Nanoparticles for Cigarettes

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7165553.pdf

There is some concern about possible health issues arising from the use of nanoparticles in a variety of products. However, this patent from Philip Morris proposes the benefits of catalytic nanoparticles to reduce the level of carbon monoxide produced from cigarettes. So smokers may soon be able to stop worrying about the ill effects of carbon monoxide (but perhaps may start worrying about the ill effects of nanoparticle inhalation.) Claim 1 reads:

1. A smoking article composition comprising tobacco cut filler, cigarette paper and/or cigarette filter material further comprising a catalyst capable of converting carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide, wherein the catalyst comprises nanoscale catalyst particles dispersed within a porous aluminosilicate matrix, and wherein the nanoscale catalyst particles comprise iron oxide, and/or iron oxide hydroxide, and/or wherein the matrix further comprises magnesia, titania, yttria, ceria or mixtures thereof.