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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 1-10 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, the term "the composition sense" should be "the composition senses".
Claims 2-10 are also objected because they are dependent on the objected claim 1 as set forth above.
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 1-2, 6, and 10 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable by Mehrnaz (Non Patent Literature: Ammonia detection of one-dimensional nano-structured polypyrrole/metal oxide nanocomposites sensors) in view of Chen (Non Patent Literature: Fabrication and characterization of polypyrrole coatings by embedding antimony modified SnO2 nanoparticles) and further in view of Kang – Translate_JP2021152528A.
As to claim 1, Mehrnaz teaches a composition for sensing of low concentration ammonia gas (page 408-409: detection resolution which is the minimum ammonia concentration that can be distinguished by the sensor is as low as 10 ppm for PPy and its nanocomposites), wherein, the composition comprises a doped tin dioxide-polypyrrole nano-composite (pages 408-409), and wherein the composition sense 5-100 ppm of ammonia gas (pages 408-409).
Mehrnaz teaches polymerization of pyrrole on the surface of metal oxide nanofibers (page 404).
Mehrnaz does not explicitly teach a composition comprises an antimony doped tin oxide-polypyrrole nano-composite; the composition for very low temperature sensing of low concentration ammonia gas, wherein the low temperature range from below room temperature to -300C.
Chen teaches composition comprises an antimony doped tin oxide-polypyrrole nano-composite (page 179 and abstract: SnO2 NPs (or Tin oxide nanoparticles) were modified with Sb (or antimony) and then doped into PPy coatings. Generally, doping of Sb not only provided a convenient way to improve the stability of SnO2 NPs (or Nanoparticles)).
Chen further teaches loading of in-situ synthesized polypyrrole on the antimony doped tin oxide matrix (abstract: Polypyrrole (PPy) coatings were successfully electrosynthesized on Sb-SnO2 nanoparticles; thus “loading of in-situ synthesized polypyrrole on the antimony doped tin oxide matrix”).
It would thus have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Mehrnaz with teachings of Chen to include a composition comprises an antimony doped tin oxide-polypyrrole nano-composite (as recited in claim 1); a method for preparing a composition for sensing of low concentration ammonia gas, wherein, the method comprises steps of: polymer loading, which includes polymerization of pyrrole; and loading of in-situ synthesized polypyrrole on the antimony doped tin oxide matrix (as recited in claim 7), to improve stability and conductivity of Tin oxide nanoparticles (page 179).
Mehrnaz and Chen do not explicitly teach the composition for very low temperature sensing of low concentration ammonia gas, wherein the low temperature range from below room temperature to -300C.
Kang teaches ammonia gas sensing material comprises polypyrrole, the gas sensing material according to the present invention has a pressure of 1 atm or more and 5 atm or less, preferably normal pressure. The relative humidity is 0% or more (preferably 10% or more) and 100% or less, preferably 20% or more and 60% or less. The temperature is −30 ° C. or higher and 100 ° C. or lower, preferably 10 ° C. or higher and 40 ° C. or lower. Moreover, in these combinations, ammonia gas is sensed and detected (pages 2 and 4).
Since Chen teaches doping of Sb providing a convenient way to improve the stability of SnO2 NPs (or Nanoparticles) (page 179 of Chen), it would thus have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify modified Mehrnaz with teachings of Kang to include a composition for very low temperature sensing of low concentration ammonia gas, wherein, the composition comprises an antimony doped tin oxide- polypyrrole nano-composite, and wherein the composition sense 5-100 ppm of ammonia gas at a temperature range from below room temperature to -30°C (as recited in claim 1); the composition shows a stable base resistance at temperature below room temperature to -30°C (as recited in claim 6); a method for preparing a composition for very low temperature sensing of low concentration ammonia gas, wherein, the method comprises steps of: polymer loading, which includes polymerization of pyrrole; and loading of in-situ synthesized polypyrrole on the antimony doped tin oxide matrix (as recited in claim 7); the composition is a metal oxide-polymer nano-composite which provides a sensing response to 5-100 ppm ammonia gas at low temperature ranging below room temperature to -30°C (as recited in claim 8); the composition provides a selective, stable and reproducible sensing response to a low ppm ammonia gas at a low temperature range, the composition provides sensing response to 5-100 ppm of ammonia gas at the low temperature range from below room temperature to -30°C (as recited in claim 9), for sensing gas at very low temperature while can achieve excellent high sensitivity (page 4).
As to claim 6, claim 6 is rejected as reasons stated in the rejection of claim 1.
As to claim 2, modified Mehrnaz does not explicitly teach the antimony doped tin oxide comprises 2-9 atomic% of antimony.
Chen teaches after the modification of Sb, the size of Sb-SnO2 nanoparticles decreased to 7.82 nm. The small amount of Sb-doping made the size distribution of Sb-SnO2 nanoparticles more homogeneous (page 180).
It would thus have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify modified Mehrnaz with teachings of Chen to include the antimony doped tin oxide comprises any small desired amount of atomic% of antimony includes i.e. 2-9 atomic% of antimony, because it help making size distribution of Sb-SnO2 nanoparticles more homogeneous (page 180).
As to claim 10, Mehrnaz further teaches embedding the composition as claimed in claim 1 in a zone where sensing of ammonia gas is required (fig.1: For gas sensing measurements, the nanocomposites coated on the glass substrate was inserted in the electrical DC circuit covered by a transparent plastic box, as testing chamber. The specified amount of methanol, ethanol, or ammonia solution was injected into the sensing chamber, equipped with a circulating fan, in order to obtain the desired uniform concentration of the volatile analyte).
Claims 7-9 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable by Mehrnaz, Chen, and Kang and further in view of Minoru – Translate_JP4603713B2.
As to claim 7, limitations of (a method for preparing a composition for very low temperature sensing of low concentration ammonia gas, wherein, the method comprises steps of: polymer loading, which includes polymerization of pyrrole; and loading of in-situ synthesized polypyrrole on the antimony (2-9 atomic%) doped tin oxide matrix) are rejected as reasons stated in the rejection of claims 1 and 2. Note that Tin oxide of modified Mehrnaz corresponds to metal oxide.
Modified Mehrnaz does not explicitly teach polymer loading, which uses hydrogen peroxide (H202) for simultaneous oxidative polymerization of pyrrole.
Minoru teaches polypyrrole is obtained by electrochemical polycondensation of pyrrole by oxidative polymerization using hydrogen peroxide ([0032]).
Since Mehrnaz teaches polymer loading, which uses FeCl3 for simultaneous oxidative polymerization of pyrrole (pages 405 and 407: oxidative polymerization of pyrrole is prepared for 24h; thus “polymer loading, which uses FeCl3 for simultaneous oxidative polymerization of pyrrole”), it would thus have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify modified Mehrnaz with teachings of Minoru to include polymer loading, which uses hydrogen peroxide (H202) for simultaneous oxidative polymerization of pyrrole, to obtain/synthesize polypyrrole ([0032]).
As to claims 8-9, claims 8-9 are rejected as reasons stated in the rejection of claims 1 and 7.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As to claim 3, claim 3 includes the antimony doped tin oxide-polypyrrole nano-composite comprises 1-2.5 wt.% of polypyrrole, when in combination with all other elements in the claim 1 distinguish the present invention from the prior arts.
As to claim 4, claim 4 includes a pyrrole solution (1 M-2.5 M in water) is polymerized in-situ while loading on an antimony doped tin oxide, when in combination with all other elements in the claim 1 distinguish the present invention from the prior arts.
As to claim 5, claim 5 includes a particle size of the antimony doped tin oxide is in a nano particle size range 10 nm to 30 nm, wherein, the said nano particle size increases a surface to volume ratio and improves overall sensing response, when in combination with all other elements in the claim 1 distinguish the present invention from the prior arts.
Conclusion
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/TRUONG D PHAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2855
/JOHN E BREENE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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