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 .
This action is in response to application filed 04/13/2023 and the IDS filed 09/22/2023.
Claims 1-20 are pending and being examined.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 11, and 16 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 10 and 12-13 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.
Considering claim 10, the range of the quantity of carbon atoms of a backbone carbon chain of the aliphatic chain is unclear. The claim recites that it is greater than 0 but not less than 8. The claim language recites two minimums for the range (0 and 8) and no maximum.
Considering claims 12-13, the claims recites “the grafting reaction”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claims 1-8 and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzhou Xingshuo Nanotech Co. Ltd. (CN 107955597 A) in view of Mei (US 2019/0207137 A1).
Considering claims 1-2, Suzhou teaches a quantum dot film comprising multiple quantum dots with metal atoms and ligands coordinated on the surface of each quantum dot interconnecting the quantum dots. The quantum dot film comprises a connecting unit connecting quantum dots to each other through a connecting unit; the connecting unit includes a first connecting part and a second connecting part, and the first and second connecting parts can respectively connect ligands on the surface of the first and second quantum dots through covalent bonds. In one embodiment, Suzhou teaches connection unit (3 of Figure 6) comprising a main carbon chain (5 of Figure 6) and three thiol groups which are indirectly connected to the quantum dot binding structure connected to the main carbon chain; methylene groups are connected to at least a portion of the ligand end of quantum dot 1; the three thiol methylene groups (i.e. the second group) form disulfide bonds with the thiol group (i.e. the first group) of the ligand, thereby connecting quantum dots (1 of Figure 6) to each other. The connection unit (3 of Figure 6) can also be dimercaptobenzene or diaminobenzene (i.e. aromatic structure) (Suzhou, 1st column of page 2 of translation and 1st column of page 3 of English translation, Figure 6). Thus, Suzhou teaches a quantum dot film comprising a quantum dot, a bonding structure wherein on end of the bonding structure is connected with the quantum dot and an aromatic structure is connected with the other end of the bonding structure.
Suzhou does not explicitly teach the aromatic hydrocarbon structure is a fluorinated aromatic structure.
However, Mei teaches an amino ligand with a hydrophobic structure is coated on the surface of quantum dot particles; presence of the hydrophobic structure provides a hydrophobic performance for the polymer; thus, the polymer provides a hydrophobic protection for the encapsulated quantum dot particle which ensures the display performance security of the formed quantum dots (Mei, [0053]). Mei teaches the hydrophobic structure can be a polyfluoroaromatic structure, such as a polyfluorobenzene structure, a polyfluorobiphenyl structure, or a carbon substituted hexafluorobisphenol A structure, specifically a substituted hexafluorobenzene structure or a substituted decafluorobiphenyl structure (Mei, [0051].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to replace the aromatic structure in Suzhou with a fluorinated aromatic structure with the claimed general formula. One of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have been motivated to do so in order to protect the internal quantum dots with a reasonable expectation of success.
Considering claims 3-6, Suzhou teaches the connecting unit comprises at least two connecting parts comprising at least one of amino, thiol, carboxyl, hydroxyl, and double bonds (Suzhou, middle of 1st column on page 2 of English translation).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the bonding structure to comprise one of the claimed structures. One of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have been motivated to do so on the basis that the connecting parts comprise at least one of amino, thiol, carboxyl, hydroxyl, and double bonds.
It should be noted that the claims are directed to a quantum dot film comprising a quantum dot and a bonding structure. The combination of Suzhou and Mei teaches/obviates the claimed quantum dot film comprising a quantum dot and a bonding structure as disclosed in preferred embodiments (i.e., instant claim 3) and the manner in which the bonding structure is formed does not impart any additional structural limitations to the quantum dot film layer.
Considering claims 7-8, Suzhou teaches a coordinating group comprising a mercapto group or an amino group or a carboxyl group connected with the quantum dot wherein the bonding structure is connected with the quantum dot by means of the coordinating group by teaching the connecting unit comprises at least two connecting parts comprising at least one of amino, thiol, carboxyl, hydroxyl, and double bonds (Suzhou, middle of 1st column on page 2 of English translation).
Considering claims 12-13, Suzhou teaches the ligand 2 on the surface of quantum dot 1 is generally a long chain alkyl group, which is not conducive to bringing the distance between quantum dots 1 closer. By connecting unit 3, the distance between quantum dots 1 can be brought closer, achieving better electron transfer effects (Suzhou, 1st full paragraph on page 7 of English translation, Figure 6).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to vary the maximum distance between the quantum dot and the fluorine-containing aromatic hydrocarbon structure such that it is greater than a first distance and a distance between adjacent quantum dots is greater than a second distance. One of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have been motivated to do so in order to achieve better and/or desired electron transfer effects with a reasonable expectation of success.
Considering claim 14, Suzhou teaches a quantum dot light-emitting device comprising the claimed quantum dot film (Suzhou, claims 19-20). Mei also teaches a quantum dot light-emitting device (Mei, [0003]).
Claims 15 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzhou Xingshuo Nanotech Co. Ltd. (CN 107955597 A) in view of Mei (US 2019/0207137 A1) and Wang (CN 110224074 A).
Considering claim 15, Suzhou teaches a method for forming the quantum dot film, and the step of reacting between the ligand with the first group and the connecting unit with the second group when the connecting part connects the ligand of the quantum dot through a covalent bond (Suzhou, abstract and 1st column on page 2 of English translation).
In one embodiment, Suzhou teaches connection unit (3 of Figure 6) comprising a main carbon chain (5 of Figure 6) and three thiol groups which are indirectly connected to the quantum dot binding structure connected to the main carbon chain; methylene groups are connected to at least a portion of the ligand end of quantum dot 1; the three thiol methylene groups (i.e. the second group) form disulfide bonds with the thiol group (i.e. the first group) of the ligand, thereby connecting quantum dots (1 of Figure 6) to each other. The connection unit (3 of Figure 6) can also be dimercaptobenzene or diaminobenzene (i.e. aromatic structure) (Suzhou, 1st column of page 2 of translation and 1st column of page 3 of English translation, Figure 6). Thus, Suzhou teaches a quantum dot film comprising a quantum dot, a bonding structure wherein on end of the bonding structure is connected with the quantum dot and an aromatic structure is connected with the other end of the bonding structure.
Suzhou does not explicitly teach a first quantum dot film layer is formed on one side of the substrate which includes a quantum dot and a first group connected to the quantum dot; a solution containing a modified ligand is formed on the side of the first quantum dot film layer that deviates from the substrate; the modified ligand includes a fluorinated aromatic hydrocarbon structure and a second functional group connected to the fluorinated aromatic hydrocarbon structure.
However, Mei teaches an amino ligand with a hydrophobic structure is coated on the surface of quantum dot particles; presence of the hydrophobic structure provides a hydrophobic performance for the polymer; thus, the polymer provides a hydrophobic protection for the encapsulated quantum dot particle which ensures the display performance security of the formed quantum dots (Mei, [0053]). Mei teaches the hydrophobic structure can be a polyfluoroaromatic structure, such as a polyfluorobenzene structure, a polyfluorobiphenyl structure, or a carbon substituted hexafluorobisphenol A structure, specifically a substituted hexafluorobenzene structure or a substituted decafluorobiphenyl structure (Mei, [0051].
Wang teaches after the quantum dot film is formed, in-situ ligand substitution is performed on the quantum dot layer, replacing the organic ligands introduced in the synthesis with ligands with conjugated groups through in-situ exchange, and the ligands all have functional groups that can coordinate (Wang, abstract).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form a first quantum dot film layer on one side of the substrate which includes a quantum dot and a first group connected to the quantum dot; forming a solution containing a modified ligand on the side of the first quantum dot film layer that deviates from the substrate wherein the modified ligand includes a fluorinated aromatic hydrocarbon structure and a second functional group connected to the fluorinated aromatic hydrocarbon structure. One of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do so in order to protect the internal quantum dots by replacing the aromatic structure in Suzhou with a fluorinated aromatic structure using a known method of in-situ ligand substitution with a reasonable expectation of success.
Considering claims 17-19, Suzhou teaches the connecting unit comprises at least two connecting parts comprising at least one of amino, thiol, carboxyl, hydroxyl, and double bonds (Suzhou, middle of 1st column on page 2 of English translation). It has already been established that Mei obviates replacing the aromatic structure in Suzhou with a fluorinated aromatic structure.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, for the first group to comprise one selected from the claimed groups and the second group to comprise one selected from the claimed groups. One of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have been motivated to do on the basis that the connecting parts comprise at least one of amino, thiol, carboxyl, hydroxyl, and double bonds and replacement of the aromatic structure in Suzhou with a fluorinated aromatic structure.
Considering claim 20, Wang teaches heat treatment during the in-situ ligand substitution (Wang, abstract).
Conclusion
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/ANITA NASSIRI-MOTLAGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1734