Aqueous disinfectants and sterilants including transition metals

1. An aqueous disinfectant or sterilant composition, comprising:

a) an aqueous vehicle, including:

i) water;

ii) from 0.001 wt % to 50 wt % of a peracid;

iii) from 0.001 wt % to 25 wt % of a peroxide; and

iv) a polyhydric alcohol;

b) from 0.001 ppm to 50,000 ppm by weight of a transition metal or alloy thereof based on the aqueous vehicle content, wherein the transition metal is an elemental metal selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, iridium, palladium, platinum, copper, gold, silver, and mixtures thereof;

with the proviso that the disinfectant composition is substantially free of aldehydes.

2. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the disinfectant composition is substantially free of chlorine and bromine-containing components.

3. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the disinfectant composition is substantially free of iodophore-containing components.

4. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the disinfectant composition is substantially free of phenolic-containing components.

5. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the disinfectant composition is substantially free of quaternary ammonium-containing components.

6. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the polyhydric alcohol comprises 0.001 wt % to 95 wt % of the aqueous vehicle.

7. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the polyhydric alcohol includes two alcohol groups.

8. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the polyhydric alcohol includes three alcohol groups.

9. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the polyhydric alcohol is present at from 1 wt % to 50 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

10. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the polyhydric alcohol is present at from 5 wt % to 15 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

11. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the transition metal or alloy thereof is a colloidal transition metal or alloy thereof.

12. A composition as in claim 11 , wherein the colloidal transition metal is colloidal silver.

13. A composition as in claim 11 , wherein the colloidal transition metal or alloy thereof has an average particle size of from 0.001 μm to 1.0 μm.

14. A composition as in claim 13 , wherein the colloidal transition metal or alloy thereof has an average particle size of from 0.030 μm to 0.5 μm.

15. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the transition metal or alloy thereof is present at from 15 ppm to 1500 ppm by weight.

16. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peracid is an aliphatic peroxyacid.

17. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peracid is an aromatic peroxyacid.

18. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peracid is selected from the group consisting of peroxyformic acid, peroxyacetic acid, peroxyoxalic acid, peroxypropanoic acid, perlactic acid, peroxybutanoic acid, peroxypentanoic acid, peroxyhexanoic acid, peroxyadipic acid, peroxycitric, peroxybenzoic acid, and mixtures thereof.

19. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peracid is present at from 0.001 wt % to 25 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

20. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peracid is present at from 1 wt % to 10 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

21. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peroxide is hydrogen peroxide.

22. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peroxide is a metal peroxide.

23. A composition as in claim 22 , wherein the metal peroxide is selected from the group consisting of sodium peroxide, magnesium peroxide, calcium peroxide, barium peroxide, and strontium peroxide, and mixtures thereof.

24. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peroxide is a peroxyhydrate.

25. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peroxide is generated in situ.

26. A composition as in claim 25 , wherein the peroxide is hydrogen peroxide generated from sodium percarbonate.

27. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peroxide is present at from 0.001 wt % to 10 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

28. A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peroxide is present at from 1 wt % to 3 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

29. An aqueous disinfectant or sterilant composition, comprising:

a) an aqueous vehicle, including:

i) water;

ii) from 0.001 wt % to 50 wt % of an aromatic peroxyacid; and

iii) from 0.001 wt % to 25 wt % of a peroxide,

b) from 0.001 ppm to 50,000 ppm by weight of a transition metal or alloy thereof based on the aqueous vehicle content, wherein the transition metal is an elemental metal selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, iridium, palladium, platinum, copper, gold, silver, and mixtures thereof;

with the proviso that the disinfectant composition is substantially free of aldehydes.

30. A composition as in claim 29 , wherein the disinfectant composition is substantially free of chlorine and bromine-containing components.

31. A composition as in claim 29 , wherein the disinfectant composition is substantially free of iodophore-containing components.

32. A composition as in claim 29 , wherein the disinfectant composition is substantially free of phenolic-containing components.

33. A composition as in claim 29 , wherein the disinfectant composition is substantially free of quaternary ammonium-containing components.

34. A composition as in claim 29 , further comprising from 0.001 wt % to 95 wt % C 1 -C 24 alcohol as part of the aqueous vehicle.

35. A composition as in claim 34 , wherein C 1 -C 24 alcohol is selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanols, butanols, pentanols, and mixtures thereof.

36. A composition as in claim 34 , wherein the alcohol is a polyhydric alcohol.

37. A composition as in claim 36 , wherein the polyhydric alcohol includes two alcohol groups.

38. A composition as in claim 36 , wherein the polyhydric alcohol includes three alcohol groups.

39. A composition as in claim 34 , wherein the C 1 -C 24 alcohol is present at from 1 wt % to 50 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

40. A composition as in claim 34 , wherein the C 1 -C 24 alcohol is present at from 5 wt % to 15 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

41. A composition as in claim 29 , wherein the transition metal or alloy thereof is a colloidal transition metal or alloy thereof.

42. A composition as in claim 41 , wherein the colloidal transition metal is colloidal silver.

43. A composition as in claim 41 , wherein the colloidal transition metal or alloy thereof has an average particle size of from 0.001 μm to 1.0 μm.

44. A composition as in claim 41 , wherein the colloidal transition metal or alloy thereof has an average particle size of from 0.030 μm to 0.5 μm.

45. A composition as in claim 29 , wherein the transition metal or alloy thereof is present at from 15 ppm to 1500 ppm by weight.

46. A composition as in claim 29 , wherein the aromatic peroxyacid is present at from 0.001 wt % to 25 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

47. A composition as in claim 29 , wherein the aromatic peroxyacid is present at from 1 wt % to 10 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

48. A composition as in claim 29 , wherein the peroxide is hydrogen peroxide.

49. A composition as in claim 29 , wherein the peroxide is a metal peroxide.

50. A composition as in claim 49 , wherein the metal peroxide is selected from the group consisting of sodium peroxide, magnesium peroxide, calcium peroxide, barium peroxide, and strontium peroxide, and mixtures thereof.

51. A composition as in claim 29 , wherein the peroxide is a peroxyhydrate.

52. A composition as in claim 29 , wherein the peroxide is generated in situ.

53. A composition as in claim 52 , wherein the peroxide is hydrogen peroxide generated from sodium percarbonate.

54. A composition as in claim 29 , wherein the peroxide is present at from 0.001 wt % to 10 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

55. A composition as in claim 29 , wherein the peroxide is present at from 1 wt % to 3 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

56. An aqueous disinfectant or sterilant composition, comprising:

a) an aqueous vehicle, including:

i) water;

ii) from 0.001 wt % to 50 wt % of a peracid; and

iii) from 0.001 wt % to 25 wt % of a metal peroxide,

b) from 0.001 ppm to 50,000 ppm by weight of a transition metal or alloy thereof based on the aqueous vehicle content, wherein the transition metal is an elemental metal selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, iridium, palladium, platinum, copper, gold, silver, and mixtures thereof;

with the proviso that the disinfectant composition is substantially free of aldehydes.

57. A composition as in claim 56 , wherein the disinfectant composition is substantially free of chlorine and bromine-containing components.

58. A composition as in claim 56 , wherein the disinfectant composition is substantially free of iodophore-containing components.

59. A composition as in claim 56 , wherein the disinfectant composition is substantially free of phenolic-containing components.

60. A composition as in claim 56 , wherein the disinfectant composition is substantially free of quaternary ammonium-containing components.

61. A composition as in claim 56 , further comprising from 0.001 wt % to 95 wt % C 1 -C 24 alcohol as part of the aqueous vehicle.

62. A composition as in claim 61 , wherein C 1 -C 24 alcohol is selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanols, butanols, pentanols, and mixtures thereof.

63. A composition as in claim 61 , wherein the C 1 -C 24 alcohol is a polyhydric alcohol.

64. A composition as in claim 63 , wherein the polyhydric alcohol includes two alcohol groups.

65. A composition as in claim 63 , wherein the polyhydric alcohol includes three alcohol groups.

66. A composition as in claim 61 , wherein the C 1 -C 24 alcohol is present at from 1 wt % to 50 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

67. A composition as in claim 61 , wherein the C 1 -C 24 alcohol is present at from 5 wt % to 15 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

68. A composition as in claim 56 , wherein the transition metal or alloy thereof is a colloidal transition metal or alloy thereof.

69. A composition as in claim 68 , wherein the colloidal transition metal is colloidal silver.

70. A composition as in claim 68 , wherein the colloidal transition metal or alloy thereof has an average particle size of from 0.001 μm to 1.0 μm.

71. A composition as in claim 68 , wherein the colloidal transition metal or alloy thereof has an average particle size of from 0.030 μm to 0.5 μm.

72. A composition as in claim 56 , wherein the transition metal or alloy thereof is present at from 15 ppm to 1500 ppm by weight.

73. A composition as in claim 56 , wherein the peracid is an aliphatic peroxyacid.

74. A composition as in claim 56 , wherein the peracid is an aromatic peroxyacid.

75. A composition as in claim 56 , wherein the peracid is selected from the group consisting of peroxyformic acid, peroxyacetic acid, peroxyoxalic acid, peroxypropanoic acid, perlactic acid, peroxybutanoic acid, peroxypentanoic acid, peroxyhexanoic acid, peroxyadipic acid, peroxycitric, peroxybenzoic acid, and mixtures thereof.

76. A composition as in claim 56 , wherein the peracid is present at from 0.001 wt % to 25 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

77. A composition as in claim 56 , wherein the peracid is present at from 1 wt % to 10 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

78. A composition as in claim 56 , wherein the metal peroxide is selected from the group consisting of sodium peroxide, magnesium peroxide, calcium peroxide, barium peroxide, and strontium peroxide, and mixtures thereof.

79. A composition as in claim 56 , wherein the metal peroxide is present at from 0.001 wt % to 10 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.

80. A composition as in claim 56 , wherein the metal peroxide is present at from 1 wt % to 3 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.