Method of making a smoking composition

1 . A method for preparing tobacco for use in a smoking composition, comprising the step of adding to tobacco a solution containing a palladium salt, whereby a prepared tobacco is obtained.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an anion of the palladium salt is selected from the group consisting of nitrate, nitrite, and chloride.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of water, ethanol, and mixtures thereof.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of palladium in the prepared tobacco is from 0.005% (w/w) to 0.15% (w/w).

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of palladium in the prepared tobacco is from 0.005% (w/w) to 0.1% (w/w).

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution further comprises a reducing sugar.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the reducing sugar is sorbitol.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein a concentration of sorbitol in the prepared tobacco is from 5% (w/w) to 20% (w/w).

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein a concentration of sorbitol in the prepared tobacco is from 8% (w/w) to 12% (w/w).

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a weight of the solution added to the tobacco divided by a weight of the tobacco to which the solution is added is 0.28.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution is added to the tobacco by spraying.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of drying the prepared tobacco after adding the solution to the tobacco.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of drying comprises forced air drying or natural evaporation drying.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein a finite period of time is allowed to elapse between adding the solution to the tobacco and drying the prepared tobacco.

15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of making a smoking article containing the prepared tobacco.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the smoking article is a cigarette.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the cigarette comprises a cigarette wrapper.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of introducing perforations into the cigarette wrapper.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the cigarette comprises a filter segment, the method further comprising the step of introducing perforations into the cigarette wrapper or a paper plug wrap wrapping the filter segment.

20 . A prepared tobacco prepared by the method of claim 1 .

21 . A smoking article comprising the prepared tobacco of claim 20 .

22 . The smoking article of claim 21 , wherein the smoking article is a cigarette.

23 . The smoking article of claim 22 , wherein the cigarette comprises a cigarette wrapper.

24 . The smoking article of claim 23 , wherein the cigarette wrapper comprises perforations.

25 . The smoking article of claim 23 , wherein the cigarette contains a filter segment, and wherein the cigarette wrapper or a paper plug wrap wrapping the filter segment comprises perforations.

26 . A smoking article comprising a tobacco cut filler with an additive disposed thereon, wherein the additive comprises a support material and a catalyst comprising metallic particles disposed on the support material.

27 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein the support material comprises silica or alumina.

28 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein the metallic particles have an average particle size of less than 0.5 micron.

29 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein the metallic particles have an average particle size of from 0.5 micron to 150 microns.

30 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein each of the metallic particles comprises an agglomeration or cluster of two or more smaller particles.

31 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein the metallic particles comprise at least one transition metal.

32 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein the metallic particles comprise a metal oxide.

33 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein the metal oxide comprises Fe 2 O 3 .

34 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein the metallic particles have an average particle size less than about 10 microns.

35 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein the metallic particles have an average particle size less than about 50 nm.

36 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein the metallic particles have an average particle size less than about 10 nm.

37 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein the metallic particles are crystalline.

38 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein the metallic particles are amorphous.

39 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein the support comprises silica or alumina.

40 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein the cut filler with the additive disposed thereon comprises from about 500 ppm to about 1500 ppm of metal in the form of metallic particles.

41 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein the additive is disposed on the tobacco cut filler in an amount effective to reduce an amount of benzo[a]pyrene in mainstream smoke by at least 9.39%.

42 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein the additive is disposed on the tobacco cut filler in an amount effective to reduce an amount of at least one polyaromatic hydrocarbon in a mainstream smoke from the combustion of the tobacco cut filler, wherein the polyaromatic hydrocarbon is selected from the group consisting of phenanthrene, 2-methylanthracene, pyrene, chrysene, benzo[b/k]fluoranthene, and benzo[a]pyrene.

43 . The smoking article of claim 26 , wherein the additive is disposed on the tobacco cut filler in an amount effective to reduce a cigarette smoke condensate from combustion of the tobacco cut filler by at least 3.15%.

44 . A cigarette comprising the smoking article of claim 26 .

45 . A smoking article comprising a tobacco cut filler with catalytic metal oxide particles disposed thereon, wherein the metal oxide particles have an average particle size of less than 500 nm.

46 . The smoking article of claim 45 , wherein the metal oxide particles have an average particle size of less than 50 nm.

47 . The smoking article of claim 45 , wherein the metal oxide particles have an average particle size of less than 5 nm.

48 . The smoking article of claim 45 , wherein the metal oxide comprises a transition metal.

49 . The smoking article of claim 45 , wherein the metal oxide comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of palladium, platinum, rhodium gold, cobalt, and copper.

50 . The smoking article of claim 45 , wherein the metal oxide comprises iron oxide.

51 . The smoking article of claim 45 , wherein the metal oxide comprises silver oxide.

52 . The smoking article of claim 45 , wherein the metal oxide comprises zinc oxide.

53 . The smoking article of claim 45 , comprising an agglomeration or cluster of two or more metal oxide particles.

54 . The smoking article of claim 45 , comprising a support material, wherein metal oxide particles are disposed on the support material.

55 . The smoking article of claim 45 , wherein the support material comprises silica or alumina.

56 . The smoking article of claim 45 , wherein the metal oxide particles are crystalline.

57 . The smoking article of claim 45 , wherein the metal oxide particles are amorphous.

58 . A smoking article comprising a tobacco cut filler with catalytic carbonaceous particles disposed thereon, wherein the catalytic carbonaceous particles have an average particle size of less than 500 nm.

59 . The smoking article of claim 57 , wherein the catalytic carbonaceous particles comprise a graphitic carbon.

60 . The smoking article of claim 57 , wherein the catalytic carbonaceous particles comprise a fullerene.

61 . The smoking article of claim 57 , wherein the catalytic carbonaceous particles comprise a doped fullerene.

62 . The smoking article of claim 57 , wherein the catalytic carbonaceous particles comprise a carbon nanotube.

63 . The smoking article of claim 57 , wherein the catalytic carbonaceous particles comprise a doped carbon nanotube.