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
Claims 9 and 17-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected method of forming a self-standing electrode wherein the self-standing electrode is a cathode including aluminum as a conductive metal and a nonelected apparatus for forming a self-standing electrode, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 19 November 2025.
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I – Species B and Species D in the reply filed on 19 November 2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the grounds that claims corresponding to invention groups I and II and species A-E are related to similar subject matter such that separate searches would likely identify the same reference.
This is not found persuasive because invention groups I and II are independent, meaning that group I does not necessarily require group II, and vice versa, and as admitted by applicant, separate searches are required to fully search the claimed subject matter that would be a serious examination burden on the examiner if restriction was not required.
Therefore, the requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis 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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-8 and 10-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhou et al (US 2015/0380738 A1). This prior art reference cited as Zhou in this Office Action hereinafter.
Regarding claim 1, Zhou discloses a method of forming a self-standing electrode (“a method of forming an electrode” [0028]), the method comprising:
introducing at least one suspension or dispersion to a pressure-controlled system (“carbon nanofiber” [0012], “mixture of these acids and CNF is sent through the filter funnel 102” [0101]), the pressure-controlled system comprising a container (“a receiving container 104.” [0096]) and an element (“a filter funnel 102” [0101]) having a porous substrate disposed therein (“filter paper 114 placed on the filter funnel 102” [0098]), the porous substrate disposed above the container (this claimed arrangement shown in Fig. 1a: filter paper 114 is disposed above receiving container 104), wherein:
each suspension or dispersion of the at least one suspension or dispersion comprises one or more of nanotubes, electrode active material, or conductive material (“a free-standing active material/nanomaterial network electrode … The nanomaterial network can include carbon nanofiber (CNF) or carbon nanotubes (CNT). CNTs can include multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). One example of such a network electrode is a LNMO/CNF network electrode. Instead of or in addition to CNF, carbon nanotubes (CNT) can also be used to form a flexible and conductive network that allows active materials, such as LNMO particles to be incorporated therein. [0097]); and
the conductive material of the at least one suspension or dispersion is in the form of, or derived from, a powder, a particle (“LNMO particles” [0097]), or combinations thereof;
applying a pressure differential across the porous substrate to draw the at least one suspension or dispersion from the element, through the porous substrate (“The container 104 includes a vacuum port 106 which is connected to a vacuum source 108. The vacuum can be a few Torr. The area of the electrode is determined by the dimensions of the filter funnel used. Vacuum provided by the vacuum source 108 helps filtrate 110 pass through the filter funnel 102” [0096]), and to the container to form a filtrate disposed within the container (shown in Fig. 1a) and a retentate disposed above the porous substrate, the retentate comprising the self-standing electrode (“allowing a residue that forms the electrode to remain on the filter funnel 102.” [0096]), the self-standing electrode comprising the nanotubes, the electrode active material, and the conductive material (“the mixture of these acids and CNF is sent through the filter funnel 102, and DI water is added to the CNF residue 112 to wash the CNF (the DI water being removed as a filtrate, using vacuum filtration” [0101]); and
removing the self-standing electrode from the porous substrate (“The film was then dried and can be easily peeled off from the filter paper” [0110]).
Regarding claim 2, Zhou discloses the method of all the limitations set forth in claim 1 above, and wherein the conductive material of the self-standing electrode is dispersed, embedded, or otherwise incorporated in the nanotubes of the self-standing electrode, the electrode active material of the self-standing electrode, or both (“The result is several CNF grid network layers, each containing embedded LMNO particles deposited above the thin layer 112 of CNF.” [0104]).
Regarding claim 3, Zhou discloses the method of all the limitations set forth in claim 1 above, and wherein an amount of conductive material in the self-standing electrode formed is determined by an electrical conductivity percolation point of the conductive material ([0109]).
Regarding claim 4, Zhou discloses the method of all the limitations set forth in claim 1 above, and wherein the at least one suspension or dispersion further comprises a solvent and a surfactant (“The MWCNTs were washed with HF and HO, twice to mildly oxide the Surface before use. The MWCNTs were then dispersed in N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone by shaking in a vortex mixer. About one quarter of the MWCNT suspension was taken out to be used for top and bottom layer of the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4/MWCNT electrodes. LiNiMnO, particles were added to the rest of the MWCNT suspension and dispersed by shaking again.” [0100], “A mixture 113 of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LMNO) particles mixed with CNF suspended in a solution of ethanol (or any solvent which CNF and CNT does not react with, such as water) is poured through the filter funnel 102 directly over the thin layer 112 of CNF.” [0104]).
Regarding claim 5, Zhou discloses the method of all the limitations set forth in claim 1 above, and wherein:
the self-standing electrode is free of a binder material (“The CNT (and/or the CNF) network film can be assembled into lithium ion batteries directly without using binder,” [0111]); and
the self-standing electrode is free of a separate current conductor layer (continuation of prior citation above: “or metal current collector,” [0111])
Regarding claim 6, Zhou discloses the method of all the limitations set forth in claim 1 above, and wherein:
the nanotubes comprise single-walled nanotubes, few-walled nanotubes, multi- walled nanotubes, double-walled nanotubes, or combinations thereof (“CNTs can include multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT).” [0097]); and
the conductive material comprises copper, aluminum, nickel, platinum, zinc, titanium, stainless steel, sintered carbon, or combinations thereof (“A mixture 113 of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LMNO) particles” [0104] where nickel is present in the corresponding conductive material).
Regarding claim 7, Zhou discloses the method of all the limitations set forth in claim 1 above, and wherein the conductive material comprises copper, aluminum, nickel, platinum, zinc, titanium, stainless steel, sintered carbon, or combinations thereof (“A mixture 113 of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LMNO) particles” [0104] where nickel is present in the corresponding conductive material).
Regarding claim 8, Zhou discloses the method of all the limitations set forth in claim 1 above, and wherein:
the self-standing electrode is an anode (“the structural designs disclosed herein can be used in both cathode and anode” [0010]); and
the electrode active material comprises graphite (“The graphitic nature (i.e., the layered structure of the wall) of the CNFs” [0120]), hard carbon, silicon, activated carbon, carbon black, or combinations thereof
Regarding claim 10, Zhou discloses the method of all the limitations set forth in claim 1 above, and wherein the porous substrate is a movable porous substrate (Fig. 9b shows that the paper filter that is disposed in the filter funnel is removable in order to peel off the disclosed electrode).
Regarding claim 11, Zhou discloses a method of forming a self-standing electrode (“a method of forming an electrode” [0028]), the method comprising:
introducing one or more suspensions or dispersions to a pressure-controlled system (“carbon nanofiber” [0012], “mixture of these acids and CNF is sent through the filter funnel 102” [0101]), each of the one or more suspensions or dispersions comprising at least one of nanotubes or electrode active material (“a free-standing active material/nanomaterial network electrode … The nanomaterial network can include carbon nanofiber (CNF) or carbon nanotubes (CNT). CNTs can include multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). One example of such a network electrode is a LNMO/CNF network electrode. Instead of or in addition to CNF, carbon nanotubes (CNT) can also be used to form a flexible and conductive network that allows active materials, such as LNMO particles to be incorporated therein. [0097]), the pressure-controlled system comprising:
a container (“a receiving container 104.” [0096]);
an element (“a filter funnel 102” [0101]) having a porous substrate disposed therein (“filter paper 114 placed on the filter funnel 102” [0098]), the porous substrate disposed above the container (this claimed arrangement shown in Fig. 1a: filter paper 114 is disposed above receiving container 104); and
a conductive material disposed above the porous substrate (“The MWCNT suspension can be partially filtered first to get a thin MWCNT layer before adding the mixture of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4/MWCNT.” [0110]), of the one or more suspensions or dispersions comprising at least one of nanotubes or electrode active material (“One example of such a network electrode is a LNMO/CNF network electrode. Instead of or in addition to CNF, carbon nanotubes (CNT) can also be used to form a flexible and conductive network” [0097]); and
applying a pressure differential across the porous substrate to draw the suspension or dispersion from the element, through the porous substrate (“The container 104 includes a vacuum port 106 which is connected to a vacuum source 108. The vacuum can be a few Torr. The area of the electrode is determined by the dimensions of the filter funnel used. Vacuum provided by the vacuum source 108 helps filtrate 110 pass through the filter funnel 102” [0096]), and to the container to form a filtrate disposed within the container (shown in Fig. 1a) and a retentate disposed above the porous substrate (“allowing a residue that forms the electrode to remain on the filter funnel 102.” [0096]), the retentate comprising the self-standing electrode (“allowing a residue that forms the electrode to remain on the filter funnel 102.” [0096]), the self-standing electrode comprising the nanotubes, the electrode active material, and the conductive material (“the mixture of these acids and CNF is sent through the filter funnel 102, and DI water is added to the CNF residue 112 to wash the CNF (the DI water being removed as a filtrate, using vacuum filtration” [0101]).
Regarding claim 12, Zhou discloses the method of all the limitations set forth in claim 11 above, and wherein the one or more suspensions or dispersions is free of the conductive material of the self-standing electrode (“The MWCNT suspension can be partially filtered first to get a thin MWCNT layer” [0110]).
Regarding claim 13, Zhou discloses the method of all the limitations set forth in claim 11 above, and wherein the conductive material is in the form of a mesh (“The LNMO particles 906 are connected by the MWCNTs 908” [0143]), wire, strip, foil, sponge, foam, or combinations thereof.
Regarding claim 14, Zhou discloses the method of all the limitations set forth in claim 11 above, and wherein the self-standing electrode is free of a binder material (“The CNT (and/or the CNF) network film can be assembled into lithium ion batteries directly without using binder,” [0111]).
Regarding claim 15, Zhou discloses the method of all the limitations set forth in claim 11 above, and wherein an amount of conductive material in the self-standing electrode is the amount of about the percolation point of the conductive material or exceeding the percolation point of the conductive material ([0109]).
Regarding claim 16, Zhou discloses the method of all the limitations set forth in claim 11 above, and wherein the one or more suspensions or dispersions further comprises a solvent and a surfactant (“The MWCNTs were washed with HF and HO, twice to mildly oxide the Surface before use. The MWCNTs were then dispersed in N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone by shaking in a vortex mixer. About one quarter of the MWCNT suspension was taken out to be used for top and bottom layer of the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4/MWCNT electrodes. LiNiMnO, particles were added to the rest of the MWCNT suspension and dispersed by shaking again.” [0100], “A mixture 113 of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LMNO) particles mixed with CNF suspended in a solution of ethanol (or any solvent which CNF and CNT does not react with, such as water) is poured through the filter funnel 102 directly over the thin layer 112 of CNF.” [0104]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLENE BERMUDEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-0610. The examiner can normally be reached on Wednesdays generally from 9 AM to 7 PM EST.
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/CHARLENE BERMUDEZ/Examiner, Art Unit 1721
/ALLISON BOURKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1721