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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-12, in the reply filed on 8/5/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 13-34 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 8/5/2026.
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, 3-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Thoi et al. (WO2019/212944A1).
Regarding claim 1, Thoi discloses an electrode (cathode, see Title, Abstract, Fig. 1-20) comprising:
at least one of sulfur (S) or selenium (Se) (cathode slurry including sulfur [0090]); and
a functionalized metal organic framework (R-MOF), the functionalized metal organic framework (R-MOF) having a functional group (R) attached to an organic portion of a metal organic framework (MOF) (metal organic framework, see Abstract; incorporate chemical anchor functional groups [0067]),
wherein the functionalized metal organic framework (R-MOF) is adapted to react with at least one of electrochemically accessible sulfur (S) or selenium (Se) to capture at least one of lithium polysulfide or sodium polysulfide via covalent attachment of sulfur (S) or selenium (Se), respectively, to the functional group (R) of the functionalized metal organic framework (R-MOF) (for covalent anchoring of polysulfides [0067]).
Regarding claim 3, Thoi discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Thoi further discloses the functional group (R) comprises a thiophosphate (PSx), a thiogermanate (GeSx), or a thioarsenate (AsSx) functional group (thiophosphate, thiogermanate or thioarsenate [0067]).
Regarding claim 4, Thoi discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Thoi further discloses the functional group (R) comprises a selenophosphate (PSex), a selenogermanate (GeSex), or a selenoarsenate (AsSex) functional group (Li5P2SeN [0068]).
Regarding claim 5, Thoi discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Thoi further discloses the functionalized metal organic framework (R-MOF) comprises pores and the at least one of the selenium (Se) or the sulfur (S) is deposited within said pores (porous [0042], high porosity of MOFs provides the ability to host and stabilize reactive sulfide species [0047]).
Regarding claim 6, Thoi discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Thoi further discloses the functionalized metal organic framework (R-MOF) and the at least one of selenium (Se) or the sulfur (S) are mixed together (cathode slurry including sulfur [0090]).
Regarding claim 7, Thoi discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Thoi further discloses the at least one of sulfur (S) or selenium (Se) is present in a proportion of 40 wt% to 90 wt% and the functionalized metal organic framework (R-MOF) is present in a proportion of 0.1 wt% to 30 wt% (30 wt% MOF, 45 wt% S [0090]).
Regarding claim 8, Thoi discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Thoi further discloses the metal organic framework (MOF) comprises zirconium, hafnium, cesium, copper, zinc, titanium, iron, vanadium, molybdenum, niobium, or chromium metal ions (Zr [0051]).
Regarding claim 9, Thoi discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Thoi further discloses the metal organic framework (MOF) is selected from the group consisting of UiO-66, MOF-808 and NU-1000 (UiO-66, MOF-808 [0051]).
Regarding claim 10, Thoi discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Thoi further discloses the functional group (R) of the functionalized metal organic framework (R-MOF) is adapted to covalently react with the lithium polysulfide or sodium polysulfide to capture the lithium polysulfide or the sodium polysulfide (for covalent anchoring of polysulfides [0067]).
Regarding claim 11, Thoi discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Thoi further discloses the lithium polysulfide comprises Li2Sx (Li2Sx [0005]).
Regarding claim 12, Thoi discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above. Thoi further discloses the sodium polysulfide comprises Na2Sx (Na2Sx [0009]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 is 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 invention is drawn to an electrode comprising, among other things, S or Se, a functionalized metal organic framework R-MOF adapted to react with S or Se to capture lithium polysulfide and/or sodium polysulfide via covalent attachment of S or Se, respectively, to the functional group R of the functionalized metal organic framework R-MOF, wherein the functional group R comprises a maleimide group.
The closest prior art is Thoi et al. (WO2019/212944A1) which discloses a cathode comprising a metal organic framework incorporating chemical anchor functional groups for covalent anchoring of polysulfides (see Title, Abstract, [0067]). Although Thoi further discloses the chemical anchoring groups include thiophosphate, thiogermanate or thioarsenate, and other suitable anchors such as Li5P2SeN, L13PS3O, and Li2PS3Cl ([0067]), the reference fails to teach, suggest or render obvious the function group R comprising a maleimide group. Further, none of the prior art suggest or provide motivation for one skilled in the art to modify Thoi to arrive at the claimed invention.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kang et al. (US 20170207446A1) discloses an electrode material for an energy storage device which comprises a metal organic framework, wherein an element having an unshared electron pair is doped to the organic linker of the metal organic framework. The electrode material for an energy storage device comprises a metal organic framework in which an element having an unshared electron pair is doped to the organic linker. The non-shared electron pair of the element doped to the electrode material is bound to high-order polysulfide to prevent the polysulfide from being transferred to lithium metal, thereby providing a good effect upon cycle characteristics and thus improving the cycle characteristics of an energy storage device, such as a lithium-sulfur battery. See Abstract.
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/James Lee/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725 8/18/2026
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