US Patent 7097858 Polyoxometalate materials, metal-containing materials, and methods of use thereof

Polyoxometalate topical compositions for removing contaminants from an environment and methods of use thereof are disclosed. An embodiment of the polyoxometalate topical composition includes a topical carrier and at least one polyoxometalate, with the proviso that the polyoxometalate is not H5PV2Mo10O40; K5Si(H2O)MnIIIW11O39; K4Si(H2O)MnIVW11O39; or K5CoIIIW12O40. Another embodiment relates to a method for removing a contaminant from an environment, including contacting the polyoxometalate topical composition with the environment containing the contaminant for a sufficient time to remove the contaminant from the environment. An additional embodiment relates to a modified material for removing a contaminant from an environment, wherein the modified material includes (1) a material comprising a topical carrier, a powder, a coating, or a fabric, and (2) a metal compound including a transition metal compound, an actinide compound, a lanthanide compound, or a combination thereof, wherein the metal compound is not a polyoxometalate.