DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The office acknowledges the receipt of applicant response to the restriction dated 07/30/2026.
Elected Species
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A search of the prior art did not show the elected species. As no claims where specifically drawn to applicants’ elected species in independent form, no claims have been indicated as allowable. Claims written in independent form which require all the limitations of the elected species along with any dependent claims which require all the limitations of the elected species would be allowable. Under MPEP 803.02, the search was expanded to find an examinable species.
Examinable Species
The examinable species is represented by I-1 (page 6):
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wherein two Rq1are fused resulting in La357 (page 18):
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The examinable species reads on claims 1-5, 7-10, 12-14, 17-20. Claims 6, 11, 15-16 are being withdrawn from further consideration as not reading on the examinable species.
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.
Claims 1-5, 7-10, 12-14, 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tran ( KR 10-2022-0014866).
Regarding Claims 1-5, 7-10, 12-14, Tran teaches a generic iridium complex I-1 (page 6):
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a specific example of LA is represented by La357 (page 18) formed when two Rq1 are fused:
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La 357 is bonded to Ir forming a five-membered ring. La357 reads on applicants’ LA wherein X1-X12 = C; X2 = CN; 1st RA = Rx1 = CN-phenyl;2nd RA = phenyl, Formula 2; X2 = CN. The office notes that RA is not joined to form a ring and one of RA comprises an electron-withdrawing group, CN.
As Tran teach generic I-1 and a finite set of specific ligands, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of invention to have selected from the exemplified ligands which would have included La 357 which reads on the instant limitations, absent unexpected results (per claims 1-5, 7).
I-1 which incorporated La 357 is heteroleptic Ring F = pyridine; Ring G = dibenzofuran; RF and RG = H (per claim 8).
LA =
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RA was defined above as phenyl and CN=phenyl, X(s) = C; RB = H; RC = CN (per claim 9).
LA =
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RA was defined above as phenyl and CN=phenyl; RB = H; RC = CN (per claim 10).
I-1 which incorporated La 357 reads on IR(LA)p(LB)q(LC)r; p = 2, q = 1; r = 0 and Ir(LA)2(LB) (per claims 12-13).
LB =
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; Y1-Y8 = C; Ra and Rb = H (per claim 14)
Regarding Claims 17-20, Tran teaches a device (100) comprises a substrate (101), an anode (110), a hole injection layer (120), and a hole transport layer.(130), electron blocking layer (140), light-emitting layer (150), hole blocking layer (160), electron transport layer (170), electron injection layer (180) and cathode (190) (machine trans. paragraph 37). The iridium complex (I-1 which incorporated La 357) is doped into the host of the light emitting layer (machine trans. 185) (per claim 17).
At least one of the host materials is a phenyl group, a pyridine group, a pyrimidine group, a triazine group, a carbazole group, or an aza group. Carbazole group, indolocarbazole group, dibenzothiophen group, azadibenzothiophen group, dibenzofuran group, azadibenzofuran group, dibenzoselenophene group, triphenylene group, azatriphenenylene group, fluorene group, silaflorene group, naphthalene group, quinoline group, isoquinoline group, quinazoline group (machine trans. pages 83-84) (per claims 18-19).
The OLED can be used in a display device or a lighting device (machine trans paragraph 158) (per claim 20).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY D CLARK whose telephone number is (571)270-7087. The examiner can normally be reached on 8AM-4PM M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Chriss can be reached on 571-272-7783. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GREGORY D CLARK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786
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