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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 20 February 2026 has been entered.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 4-21 remain withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected groups II-III, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 30 September 2025.
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed 20 February 2026 has been entered. Claims 1 and 3 are amended; claim 22 is cancelled; claims 23-25 are added. Accordingly, claims 1-21 and 23-25 remain pending in the application with claims 1-3 and 23-25 considered in this Office Action.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statements filed 02/20/2026 and 07/27/2026 have been considered.
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.
(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 1-3 and 23-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hu (US 2019/0084832) as evidenced by Bettenhausen ("Clean hydrogen with nanotubes on the side").
Regarding Claim 1, Hu discloses a catalyst for conversion of methane to hydrogen and carbon nanotubes [0007], wherein methane decomposes via the following reaction: CH4 → C(CNT) + 2 H2 [0003], such that the conversion is non-oxidative. Hu further discloses the catalyst composition comprises a support material (support material meets the limitation of a matrix) comprising alumina (Al2O3), titanium dioxide (TiO2), and mixtures thereof; and a metal (metal meets the limitation of a metal dopant) comprising Ni, Fe, Co, Mn, and combinations thereof ([0017], [0256]-[0258]). Hu further discloses the metal is distributed within the support material and/or on an internal surface of the support material (metal distributed within the support and/or on an internal surface of the support meets the limitation of a metal dopant embedded in the matrix; [0342]). Hu further discloses a method of making the catalyst composition comprising contacting the support material with an aqueous solution comprising 3d transition metal salt selected from a nickel salt, an iron salt, a cobalt salt, a manganese salt, or combinations thereof [0017], such that the catalyst is not a product of fusing ferrous metasilicate with SiO2 at a temperature of 500°C to 2400°C.
Regarding Claim 2, Hu discloses there is not much agglomeration of the metal nanoparticles, which signifies the stable nature of the catalyst [0455], such that the embedded metal dopant comprises isolated metal atoms that are free of aggregates.
Regarding Claim 3, Hu discloses a catalyst for conversion of methane to hydrogen and carbon nanotubes [0007], wherein methane decomposes via the following reaction: CH4 → C(CNT) + 2 H2 [0003]. Hu further discloses there is not much agglomeration of the metal nanoparticles, which signifies the stable nature of the catalyst [0455], such that the embedded metal dopant comprises isolated metal atoms that are free of aggregates.
Hu is silent to isolated metal atoms in an amount that reduces coking in non-oxidative conversion of methane to hydrogen.
Hu, however, does not disclose the formation of coke.
Bettenhausen discloses decomposition methane into hydrogen and solid carbon, usually in the form or carbon black, coke, or soot (pg. 3, par. 3). Bettenhausen further discloses the formation of solid carbon in the form of carbon nanotubes (pg. 3, par. 4), which are a much more valuable form of carbon than carbon black, coke, or soot (pg. 3, par. 6).
Hu teaches the formation of carbon nanotubes [0017] and is silent to producing any coke, such that the coking in the non-oxidative conversion of methane to hydrogen in Hu is reduced. Therefore, the embedded metal dopant comprising isolated metal atoms in Hu is in an amount that reduces coking in non-oxidative conversion of methane to hydrogen.
Regarding Claim 23, Hu discloses a catalyst for conversion of methane to hydrogen and carbon nanotubes [0007], wherein methane decomposes via the following reaction: CH4 → C(CNT) + 2 H2 [0003], such that the conversion is non-oxidative. Hu further discloses the catalyst composition comprises a support material (support material meets the limitation of a matrix) comprising alumina (Al2O3), a zeolite, titanium dioxide (TiO2), and mixtures thereof; and a metal (metal meets the limitation of a metal dopant) comprising Ni, Co, Mn, and combinations thereof ([0017], [0256]-[0258]). Hu further discloses the metal is distributed within the support material and/or on an internal surface of the support material (metal distributed within the support and/or on an internal surface of the support meets the limitation of a metal dopant embedded in the matrix; [0342]). Hu further discloses a method of making the catalyst composition comprising contacting the support material with an aqueous solution comprising 3d transition metal salt selected from a nickel salt, an iron salt, a cobalt salt, a manganese salt, or combinations thereof [0017], such that the catalyst is not a product of fusing ferrous metasilicate with SiO2 at a temperature of 500°C to 2400°C.
Regarding Claim 24, Hu discloses there is not much agglomeration of the metal nanoparticles, which signifies the stable nature of the catalyst [0455], such that the embedded metal dopant comprises isolated metal atoms that are free of aggregates.
Regarding Claim 25, Hu discloses a catalyst for conversion of methane to hydrogen and carbon nanotubes [0007], wherein methane decomposes via the following reaction: CH4 → C(CNT) + 2 H2 [0003]. Hu further discloses there is not much agglomeration of the metal nanoparticles, which signifies the stable nature of the catalyst [0455], such that the embedded metal dopant comprises isolated metal atoms that are free of aggregates.
Hu is silent to isolated metal atoms in an amount that reduces coking in non-oxidative conversion of methane to hydrogen.
Hu, however, does not disclose the formation of coke.
Bettenhausen discloses decomposition methane into hydrogen and solid carbon, usually in the form or carbon black, coke, or soot (pg. 3, par. 3). Bettenhausen further discloses the formation of solid carbon in the form of carbon nanotubes (pg. 3, par. 4), which are a much more valuable form of carbon than carbon black, coke, or soot (pg. 3, par. 6).
Hu teaches the formation of carbon nanotubes [0017] and is silent to producing any coke, such that the coking in the non-oxidative conversion of methane to hydrogen in Hu is reduced. Therefore, the embedded metal dopant comprising isolated metal atoms in Hu is in an amount that reduces coking in non-oxidative conversion of methane to hydrogen.
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 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hu (US 2019/0084832) in view of Guo (“Direct, Nonoxidative Conversion of Methane to Ethylene, Aromatics, and Hydrogen”).
An alternative rejection of claim 2 is provided in case Hu does not have isolated metal atoms.
Alternatively, regarding Claim 2, Hu teaches the elements as described above with regards to claim 1.
Hu is silent to the embedded metal dopant comprising isolated metal atoms that are free of aggregates.
Guo discloses a catalyst for non-oxidative conversion of methane to hydrogen, wherein the catalyst comprises single iron sited embedded in a matrix (Abstract). Guo further discloses the absence of adjacent iron sites prevents catalytic C-C coupling, and hence, coke deposition (Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hu to incorporate the teachings of Guo wherein the embedded metal dopant comprises isolated metal atoms that are free of aggregates in order to prevent coke deposition, as recognized by Guo (Abstract).
An alternative rejection of claim 3 is provided in case Hu does not have isolated metal atoms.
Alternatively, regarding Claim 3, Hu is silent to the embedded metal dopant comprising isolated metal atoms in an amount that reduces coking in non-oxidative conversion of methane to hydrogen.
Guo discloses a catalyst for non-oxidative conversion of methane to hydrogen, wherein the catalyst comprises single iron sited embedded in a matrix (Abstract). Guo further discloses the absence of adjacent iron sites prevents catalytic C-C coupling, and hence, coke deposition (Abstract). Guo further discloses coke deposition results in catalyst deactivation (pg. 618, Col. 1, par. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hu to incorporate the teachings of Guo wherein embedded metal dopant comprising isolated metal atoms in an amount that reduces coking in non-oxidative conversion of methane to hydrogen, because coke deposition results in catalyst deactivation, as recognized by Guo (Abstract).
Claims 24-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hu (US 2019/0084832) in view of Akri (“Atomically dispersed nickel as coke-resistant active sites for methane dry reforming”).
An alternative rejection of claim 24 is provided in case Hu does not have isolated metal atoms.
Alternatively, regarding Claim 24, Hu teaches the elements as described above with regards to claim 23.
Hu is silent to the embedded metal dopant comprising isolated metal atoms that are free of aggregates.
Akri discloses a catalyst for non-oxidative conversion of methane to hydrogen (pg. 6, Col. 2, par. 2; Fig. 5). Akri further discloses the catalyst comprises Ni supported on HAP (hydroxyapatite) and Ce-substituted HAP (pg. 2, Col. 1, par. 4). Akri further discloses isolated Ni atoms are intrinsically coke-resistant due to their unique ability to only activate the first C-H in CH4, thus avoiding methane decomposition to carbon, wherein coke formation results in a catalyst with poor stability (Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hu to incorporate the teachings of Akri wherein the embedded metal dopant comprises isolated metal atoms that are free of aggregates to prevent coke formation and thereby, formation of a catalyst with poor stability, as recognized by Akri (Abstract).
An alternative rejection of claim 25 is provided in case Hu does not have isolated metal atoms.
Alternatively, regarding Claim 25, Hu is silent to the embedded metal dopant comprising isolated metal atoms in an amount that reduces coking in non-oxidative conversion of methane to hydrogen.
Akri discloses a catalyst for non-oxidative conversion of methane to hydrogen (pg. 6, Col. 2, par. 2; Fig. 5). Akri further discloses the catalyst comprises Ni supported on HAP (hydroxyapatite) and Ce-substituted HAP (pg. 2, Col. 1, par. 4). Akri further discloses isolated Ni atoms are intrinsically coke-resistant due to their unique ability to only activate the first C-H in CH4, thus avoiding methane decomposition to carbon, wherein coke formation results in a catalyst with poor stability (Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hu to incorporate the teachings of Akri wherein the embedded metal dopant comprises isolated metal atoms in an amount that reduces coking in non-oxidative conversion of methane to hydrogen, because coke formation causes the catalyst to have poor stability, as recognized by Akri (Abstract).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see "Remarks", pg. 7, filed 20 February 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-3 and 22 under 35 U.S.C. 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Hu (US 2019/0084832).
Conclusion
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/S.E.S./Examiner, Art Unit 1735
/PAUL A WARTALOWICZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1735
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