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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-5 and 11-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sun in their publication “Synthesis and Optical Properties of Nanorattles and Multiple-Walled Nanoshells/Nanotubes Made of Metal Alloys”.
Regarding Claim 1: Sun teaches a quantum dot comprising a quantum dot core of an Au/Ag alloy and a metal shell encapsulating the quantum dot core. The quantum dot of Sun includes a hollow ring between an inner wall of the metal shell and an outer wall of the quantum dot core (See Figure 1). The material of Sun is a quantum dot as it is of the same dimensions and structure as the material claimed (100-150 nm; See Claim 2 and Figures 2D and 5A-B).
Regarding Claim 2: Sun shows several quantum dots having a diameter of the outer wall of the metal shell on the order of between 100 and 150 nm (See Figure 2D and 5A-B).
Regarding Claim 3: Sun teaches that the distance from the outer surface of the core to the inner surface of the shell (thickness of the hollow ring) is from 30-40 nm (See Section: Surface Plasmon Resonance Properties of the AU/Ag Alloy Nanorattles).
Regarding Claim 4: Sun teaches the core as set forth is an Au/Ag alloy, which is an inorganic material. The cores of Sun may be viewed as cores having shells, wherein both the core and shell are made from the same inorganic material. Thus the outer surface of the quantum dot core represents an inorganic shell disposed between the quantum dot core and the hollow ring as set forth.
Regarding Claim 5: Sun teaches a method of preparing quantum dots, wherein the method of Sun includes providing a quantum dot core. The quantum dot core is then provided with a metal shell to encapsulate the outer wall of the quantum dot core and a hollow ring is defined between an inner wall of the metal shell and the outer wall of the quantum dot core (See Section: Synthesis of Au/Ag Alloy Nanoparticles, Synthesis of Nanorattles Consisting of Au/Ag alloy cores and shells and Figure 1).
Regarding Claim 11: Sun teaches a quantum dot comprising a quantum dot core of an Au/Ag alloy and a metal shell encapsulating the quantum dot core. The quantum dot of Sun includes a hollow ring between an inner wall of the metal shell and an outer wall of the quantum dot core (See Figure 1). Sun shows various images of the quantum dots using a Transmission Electron Microscope, which makes use of a thin film comprising the quantum dots to provide an image (See Figures 1-5). Sun describes making such a quantum dot film by providing a drop of the quantum dots on silicon substrates or copper grids (See Instrumentation).
Regarding Claim 12: Sun shows several quantum dots in a film having a diameter of the outer wall of the metal shell on the order of between 100 and 150 nm (See Figure 2D and 5A-B).
Regarding Claim 13: Sun teaches that the distance from the outer surface of the core to the inner surface of the shell in the film as discussed (thickness of the hollow ring) is from 30-40 nm (See Section: Surface Plasmon Resonance Properties of the AU/Ag Alloy Nanorattles).
Regarding Claim 14: Sun teaches the cores in the film, as discussed above, is an Au/Ag alloy, which is an inorganic material. The cores of Sun may be viewed as cores having shells, wherein both the core and shell are made from the same inorganic material. Thus the outer surface of the quantum dot core represents an inorganic shell disposed between the quantum dot core and the hollow ring as set forth.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art to Park, Fu, and Sun all teach the creation of core-shell quantum dots having similar structure to the quantum dots claimed, having a core, a metallic shell and a hollow ring between the two; however, the prior art of record does not teach each and every step of the method claim as set forth. The prior art does not teach the use of vacuuming steps, multiple injection steps, and substitution as set forth.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Fu in CN201710244262.6 and Park in WO2021261334 both teach the creation of quantum dots having a quantum dot core, a metallic shell and a hollow ring. Fu and Park are applicable to the claimed subject matter to a similar extent as Sun.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW E HOBAN whose telephone number is (571)270-3585. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30am-6:00pm.
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/Matthew E. Hoban/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1734