DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 03/04/26 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The objection to Claims 9-14 and 18 as set forth in the Final Rejection filed 12/12/25 is overcome by the cancellation of the claims.
The objection to Claims 1-8, 15-17, 19, and 20 as set forth in the Final Rejection filed 12/12/25 is overcome by the Applicant’s amendments.
The rejection of Claims 12-14 and 18 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fleetham et al. (US 2022/0181561 A1) as set forth in the Final Rejection filed 12/12/25 is overcome by the cancellation of the claims.
The rejection of Claims 1-8 and 19 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fleetham et al. (US 2022/0181561 A1) as set forth in the Final Rejection filed 12/12/25 is overcome by the Applicant’s amendments.
The rejection of Claims 9-11 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fleetham et al. (US 2022/0181561 A1) in view of Kai et al. (US 2010/0187977 A1) as set forth in the Final Rejection filed 12/12/25 is overcome by the cancellation of the claims.
The rejection of Claims 15-17 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fleetham et al. (US 2022/0181561 A1) in view of Kai et al. (US 2010/0187977 A1) as set forth in the Final Rejection filed 12/12/25 is herein amended due to the Applicant’s amendments.
The rejection of Claims 9, 12-14, and 18 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (US 2022/0231229 A1) as set forth in the Final Rejection filed 12/12/25 is overcome by the cancellation of the claims.
The rejection of Claims 1-8, 15-17, 19, and 20 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (US 2022/0231229 A1) as set forth in the Final Rejection filed 12/12/25 is overcome by the Applicant’s amendments.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating
obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-8, 15-17, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fleetham et al. (US 2022/0181561 A1) in view of Kai et al. (US 2010/0187977 A1).
Fleetham et al. discloses an organic electroluminescent (EL) device comprising a light-emitting layer comprising a first host which is “partially or fully deuterated” (Abstract; [0007]); partial deuteration includes at least one hydrogen being replaced by deuterium, including “at least 80%” of the hydrogens being replaced by deuterium ([0055]). The first host is of the following form:
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(page 14) where X1-6 = C or N ([0212]), RA’-D’ = no substitution or maximum substitutions and includes hydrogen or substituent including deuterium which can joined or fused into a ring ([0045], [0051], [0215]-[0216]). An embodiment (first host) is disclosed:
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(page 31). However, Fleetham et al. does not explicitly disclose an embodiment that fully reads on Applicant’s Chemical Formula 1, particularly in regards to the nature of the L1-Ar1 and L2-Ar2 groups. Nevertheless, it would have been obvious to modify the above compound as disclosed by Fleetham et al. such that R1-18 = deuterium, n1 = 3, Ra = deuterium, L1-2 = single bond, Ar1 = unsubstituted C6 aryl group (phenyl), and Ar2 = substituted C6 aryl group (deuterium-substituted phenyl) of Applicant’s Chemical Formulae 1, 1A, 1B, and 1C; Ra1-2 = Ra4 = deuterium of Applicant’s Chemical Formula 1-III; corresponds to 1-67 as recited in Claim 8. The motivation is provided by the fact that the modification merely involves the exchange of one group (D5-phenyl) for a functional equivalent (an isotopic analog, i.e., unsubstituted phenyl) (or merely an exchange of hydrogens for functional equivalents (deuteriums)), which is easily envisioned from the disclosure of Fleetham et al. which teaches “at least 80%” deuteration of the first host as well as from the scope of its general formula, thus rendering the production predictable with a reasonable expectation of success.
Fleetham et al. further discloses the following organic EL device for the construction of displays and the like ([0328]):
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(Fig. 1) comprising substrate (110), anode (115), hole-injecting layer (120) (hole transport layer), hole-transporting layer (125) (hole transport auxiliary layer), electron-blocking layer (130), light-emitting layer (135), hole-blocking layer (140), electron-transporting layer (145), electron-injecting layer (150), protective layer (155), cathode (160), and barrier layer (170) (Fig. 1; [0333]); its inventive compounds serve as (first) host material in the light-emitting layer ([0006]). The light-emitting layer further comprises a (second) host material, which can be undeuterated ([0195]). Fleetham et al. discloses an “additional layer” (hole-injecting layer, hole-transporting layer, or layer adjacent to the light-emitting layer) which can also comprise its inventive (partially or fully deuterated) compounds ([0090], [0183]-[0184]). However, Fleetham et al. does not explicitly disclose a second compound as recited in the claims.
Kai et al. discloses the following compound:
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(page 8) (second compound) such that R27-32 = hydrogen, n15 = 1, R50 = hydrogen, L4 = L6 = L8 = single bond, and R22 = R24 = substituted C5 heterocyclic group (phenyl-substituted pyridyl) of Applicant’s Chemical Formula 2-IB-2. Kai et al. discloses its inventive compounds as host material in the light-emitting layer of an organic EL device, the use of which results in a device with high efficiency and good driving stability (Abstract; [0018]). It would have been obvious to incorporate compound (33) as disclosed by Kai et al. into the light-emitting layer of the organic EL device as disclosed by Fleetham et al. (as additional, second host material). The motivation is provided by the disclosure of Kai et al., which discloses that the use of its inventive compounds in such a manner results in a device with high efficiency and good driving stability.
15. Claims 1-8, 15-17, 19, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (US 2022/0231229 A1) in view of Kai et al. (US 2010/0187977 A1).
Yang et al. discloses an organic electroluminescent (EL) device comprising a plurality of host materials comprising first and second host materials, the latter of which comprises compounds such as (Abstract; [0006]):
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(page 117) such that L1-2 = single bond, Ar1 = unsubstituted C12 aryl group (biphenyl), and Ar2 = unsubstituted C6 aryl group (phenyl) of Applicant’s Chemical Formula 1 and wherein Dn represents “preferably an integer of 8 or more”; the deuteration leads to increase bond dissociation energy, improving stability of the molecule ([0070]). Yang et al. discloses that the term “a plurality of host materials” comprises “at least two host materials,” including other conventional materials ([0037]). However, Yang et al. does not explicitly disclose an embodiment that fully reads on Applicant’s Chemical Formula 1. Nevertheless, it would have been obvious to produce a compound that fully reads on Applicant’s Chemical Formula 1, with Ra = R1-18 = deuterium (to produce compounds such as [1-76] as recited in Claim 8) and/or at least one of Ar1-2 is substituted with deuterium. The motivation is provided by the fact that the production merely involves the exchange of one atomic group (hydrogen) for a functional equivalent (an isotopic analog, i.e., deuterium), which is easily envisioned from the disclosure of Yang et al. which teaches a preferred deuteration of “8 or more” in order to improve stability of the molecule. However, Yang et al. does not explicitly disclose a second compound as recited in the claims.
Kai et al. discloses the following compound:
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(page 8) (second compound) such that R27-32 = hydrogen, n15 = 1, R50 = hydrogen, L4 = L6 = L8 = single bond, and R22 = R24 = substituted C5 heterocyclic group (phenyl-substituted pyridyl) of Applicant’s Chemical Formula 2-IB-2. Kai et al. discloses its inventive compounds as host material in the light-emitting layer of an organic EL device, the use of which results in a device with high efficiency and good driving stability (Abstract; [0018]). It would have been obvious to incorporate compound (33) as disclosed by Kai et al. into the light-emitting layer of the organic EL device as disclosed by Yang et al. (as additional host material). The motivation is provided by the disclosure of Kai et al., which discloses that the use of its inventive compounds in such a manner results in a device with high efficiency and good driving stability.
Response to Arguments
16. Applicant’s arguments on pages 27-31 with respect to the deficiencies of the previously cited prior art have been considered but are moot in view of the amended rejection as set forth above. Notice particularly the combination with the prior art Kai et al., contrary to the Applicant’s arguments, produces the composition as recited in the claims.
Conclusion
17. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAY L YANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1137. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 6am-3pm.
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/JAY YANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786
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