DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Amendment to the claims was submitted with corrections on 04/09/2026, claims 35 and 38 are canceled, new claims 40-41 are added, the previous claim objections are withdrawn, and the previous 112(a) rejections to claims 1-2, 5, 9-12, 21-23, 26-30, and 35-39 are withdrawn.
Claim Status
Claims 1-2, 5, 9-12, 21-23, 26-30, 36-37, and 39-41 are under consideration.
Claims 3-4, 6-8, 13-20, 24-25, 31-35, and 38 are canceled.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-2, 5, 9-12, 21-23, 26-30, 36-37, and 39-41 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Independent claims 1, 21, and 27 have been amended to disclose a first carboxylate ligand which includes a first substituent, a first oxygen atom, and a second oxygen atom, wherein the first substituent comprises at least one of formic acid and acetic acid, wherein the first substituent is directly bonded to a first carbon atom that is directly bonded to a first and second oxygen atom.
However, the instant specification only discloses that examples of carboxylic acids (not substituents themselves) include formic acid and acetic acid where the carboxylate ligands include the substituents of the carboxylic acids [0039]. For example, regarding a carboxylate ligand formed from formic acid (shown below), the substituent would be the H on the left, not formic acid itself, where the substituent H would then be directly bonded to the instant first carbon atom.
PNG
media_image1.png
379
529
media_image1.png
Greyscale
The instant specification fails to disclose a carboxylate ligand formed from a carboxylic acid where a substituent of the carboxylic acid is an additional carboxylic acid moiety. Further, formic acid and acetic acid have clearly defined chemical structures, each comprising of only one carboxylate moiety.
Claims 30 and 39 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 30 is recites the limitation "the a carboxylic acid". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding claim 39, it is unclear what is meant by “the fourth oxygen atom is not coordinated with the first tin atom.” If “coordinated” is interpreted as being bonded together either directly or indirectly, the claim may be further rejected under 112(d) as the parent claim discloses the fourth oxygen atom is indirectly bonded to the first tin atom through the second carbon atom and the third oxygen atom.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 04/09/2026 with respect to the 112(a) rejections to claims 1-2, 5, 9-12, 21-23, 26-30, and 35-39 have been fully considered and are persuasive in view of the new claim amendments. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection under 35 USC § 112(a) and 112(b) is made in response to the new claim amendments.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Alexander Lee whose telephone number is (571)272-2261. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7:30-5:30 EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Huff can be reached at (571) 272-1385. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/A.N.L./Examiner, Art Unit 1737
/MARK F. HUFF/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1737
Prosecution Insights