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 .
The pending claims are claims 1-19.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Dai et al., US 2016/0020491.
Regarding claim 1, Dai et al., teaches an electrolyte (abstract), comprising: a) a lithium (Li) salt (abstract; 0021; 0023); b) a fluorinated solvent (abstract; 0018); c) 1,3-dioxolane (DOL) solvent (0022); d) 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) solvent (0022; 0036); e) lithium polysulfide (LiPS) (0016; 0019); and f) lithium nitrate (LiNO3) (0023; 0072).
Regarding claim 2, Dai et al., teaches the Li salt (0003; 0021; 0023) includes at least one member of the group consisting of lithium trifluoromethane sulfonate (LiCF3SO3) (0023), lithium trifluorosulfonyl methane (LiTFSM) (0023), and lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) (0023; 0037).
Regarding claim 3, Dai et al., teaches wherein the Li salt includes at least one member of the group consisting of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) (0023), lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) (0023), and lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate (LiTf) (0023), lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Li(CF3SO2)2N) (0023), lithium (fluorosulfonyl)-(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Li(FS02)(CF3S02)N) (claim 4), LiBF4 (0023), LiBF3(C2F5) (0023), LiPF3(C2F5)3 (0023), LiClO4 (0037), LiPF6 (0037), LiAsF6 (0023).
Regarding claim 4, Dai et al., teaches, wherein the Li salt (abstract) is a blend that further includes at least one member of the group consisting of lithium trifluorosulfonyl methane (LiTFSM) (0023), and lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) (0023).
Regarding claim 5, Dai et al., teaches wherein the fluorinated solvent includes at least one member of the group consisting of bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) ether (0024), 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl-2,2,3,3- tetrafluoropropyl ether, 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl ether, ethyl- 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl ether (0024).
Regarding claim 6, Dai et al.., teaches wherein the lithium polysulfide (0016) has the chemical formula: Li2Sx, wherein x is in a range of from 1 to 8 (0016; 0023; 0025).
Regarding claim 7, Dai et al., teaches wherein the lithium polysulfide (0016) has a concentration of 0 M to 8M (0016; 0023; 0025).
Regarding claim 8, Dai et al., teaches wherein the Li salt has a concentration of 0.1 M to 10 M (0023; “0.1 M to about 2 M”) (0016).
Regarding claim 9, Dai et al., teaches wherein the lithium nitrate has a concentration of 0.01 M to 10 M (0023; 0037; 0072).
Regarding claim 10, Dai et al., teaches wherein the fluorinated solvent is 0% to 100% by volume (0024; “about 0.1 M to about 1 M.”).
Regarding claim 11, Dai et al., teaches a lithium-sulfur electrochemical device (0002), comprising: a) a cathode (0014; 0077); b) an anode (0014; 0073; 0077); c) a separator (0014) between the cathode and the anode (0029); and d) at least one of a liquid electrolyte (0048) and a polymer gel electrolyte in fluid communication with the cathode, the anode, and the separator, the electrolyte including: i) a lithium (Li) salt, ii) a fluorinated solvent, iii) 1,3-dioxolane (DOL) solvent, iv) 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) solvent, v) lithium polysulfide (LiPS), and vi) lithium nitrate (LiNO3).
Regarding claim 12, Dai et al., teaches wherein the electrochemical device is an electrochemical cell (0010; 0057; 0069).
Regarding claim 13, Dai et al., teaches wherein the electrochemical device is a lithium-sulfur battery (0008-0013) .
Regarding claim 14, Dai et al., teaches wherein the lithium-sulfur battery (0008) is a rechargeable lithium-sulfur battery (0008-0013).
Regarding claim 15, Dai et al., teaches wherein the anode is selected from the group consisting of a silicon anode (silicon negative electrode) (0014), a graphitic anode (graphite negative electrode) (0014), a lithium metal anode (0041), and a lithium alloy metal anode (0035; 0045).
Thus, the claims are anticipated.
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.
Claim(s) 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dai et al., US 2016/0020491, in view of Wang et al., CN 107369801 .
Regarding claim16, Dai et al., does not teach wherein at least one of the anode, the cathode, and the separator is coated with an MXene-polymer composite material that includes a MXene component and a polymer component.
Wang et al., teaches at least one of the anode, the cathode, and the separator is coated with an MXene-polymer composite material (that includes a MXene component (0002; 0007) and a polymer component (0009-0010).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to insert the teachings of Wang into the teachings of Dai because “MXene material can be directly coated onto commercial separators, or combined with polymers onto commercial separators, to suppress lithium polysulfides shuttling to the negative electrode. This invention utilizes the unique advantages of different polymers or inorganic particles combined with the excellent properties of MXene to further modify the separator and improve the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries.” (0011).
Regarding claim17, Dai et al., does not teach wherein the MXene polymer composite material is at least one of a multilayer film and a blend of MXene and polymer components of the MXene polymer composite material.
Wang et al., teaches MXene polymer composite material is at least one of a multilayer film and a blend of MXene and polymer components of the MXene polymer composite material (0007; 0009-0010).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to insert the teachings of Wang into the teachings of Dai because “MXene material can be directly coated onto commercial separators, or combined with polymers onto commercial separators, to suppress lithium polysulfides shuttling to the negative electrode. This invention utilizes the unique advantages of different polymers or inorganic particles combined with the excellent properties of MXene to further modify the separator and improve the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries.” (0011).
Regarding claim18, Dai et al., does not teach wherein the MXene-polymer composite material is a multilayer film.
Wang et al., teaches the MXene-polymer composite material is a multilayer film (“few-layer material with nanosheets.” ) (0078).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to insert the teachings of Wang into the teachings of Dai because “MXene material can be directly coated onto commercial separators, or combined with polymers onto commercial separators, to suppress lithium polysulfides shuttling to the negative electrode. This invention utilizes the unique advantages of different polymers or inorganic particles combined with the excellent properties of MXene to further modify the separator and improve the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries.” (0011).
Regarding claim19, Dai et al., does not teach wherein the MXene-polymer composite material is a blend of the MXene and polymer components of the MXene polymer composite material.
Wang et al., teaches wherein the MXene-polymer composite material is a blend of the MXene and polymer components of the MXene polymer composite material (“MXene material is mixed with polymer or inorganic particles.”) (0018).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to insert the teachings of Wang into the teachings of Dai because “MXene material can be directly coated onto commercial separators, or combined with polymers onto commercial separators, to suppress lithium polysulfides shuttling to the negative electrode. This invention utilizes the unique advantages of different polymers or inorganic particles combined with the excellent properties of MXene to further modify the separator and improve the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries.” (0011).
Conclusion
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ANGELA J. MARTIN
Examiner
Art Unit 1727
/ANGELA J MARTIN/Examiner, Art Unit 1727
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