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
Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informalities: Add a comma “,” after “The method claim 14” based on claim language consistency. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 20 recites “binding a precursor reagent selected from materials to the seed materials;”. However, the claim as written is indefinite and unclear. It is not possible to ascertain which materials the applicant intended, for the purposes of the limitation “ selected from materials”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7-12, 14 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rodriques et al. (US 2017/0081489 A1; hereinafter “MIT”) in view of Han et al. (KR 2017/0006773 A; hereinafter “KOREA”).
Regarding claim 1, MIT discloses a method (a method; paragraph [0005]) comprising: preparing a matrix material (providing a polymer gel material; infusing the polymer gel material with at least one reactive group; and illuminating the selected voxels within the polymer gel material to yield a pattern of reactive group sites anchored to the polymer gel material; removing excess reactive groups from the polymer gel material; molecules covalently bound to a gel matrix; paragraphs [0029]-[0032], [00541); binding a seed material within the matrix material, establishing nucleation sites (depositing functional molecules or nanoparticles on the reactive group sites; two-photon illumination of a voxel within the gel caused fluorescein to bind at that site in the polymer matrix; sites illuminated could then be functionalized by attaching molecules or nanoparticles (seed material) to the reactive groups anchored to the gel (nucleation sites); gel is stained with streptavidin carrying a 1.4 nm gold nanoparticle; figs. 1A, 1 B, paragraph (0033], (0054], (0063]); at the nucleation sites, growing a precursor reagent (a silver enhancement solution is then applied that deposits silver (precursor reagent) on top of the gold nanoparticle
(nucleation site); paragraph (00631); to form a nanomaterial composition (this technology may open up many new possibilities in the programmable fabrication of complex nanomaterials; paragraph (0006]).
MIT does not disclose adding a chalcogen to form precursor reagent chalcogenide; adding a final compound, facilitating an ion exchange and replacing the precursor reagent chalcogenide with the final compound to form a nanomaterial composition. KOREA discloses adding a chalcogen to form precursor reagent chalcogenide (gold nanoparticles having the silver shell in aqueous solution are mixed with sulfide (chalcogen) to convert the silver shell outer layer into silver sulfide (precursor reagent chalcogenide); page 6 paragraphs 5-6); adding a final compound, facilitating an ion exchange and replacing the precursor reagent chalcogenide with the final compound (the silver sulfide shell (precursor reagent chalcogenide) is converted into cadmium sulfide; the process proceeds in the presence of methanol and phosphine through a cation exchange reaction; cadmium precursor may be selected from cadmium acetate, cadmium acetylacetonate, cadmium iodide, cadmium bromide, cadmium chloride, cadmium carbonate, and preferably includes cadmium nitrate tetrahydrate (final compound); page 5 paragraphs 2-3). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the relevant date, to modify the method of MIT to include adding a chalcogen to form precursor reagent chalcogenide; adding a final compound, facilitating an ion exchange and replacing the precursor reagent chalcogenide with the final compound to form a nanomaterial composition, as taught by KOREA, because KOREA discloses a nanoparticle that can significantly improve performance of a photocatalyst which could be used as an eco-friendly energy source production device or a pollutant removal device with superior catalytic performance (KOREA; abstract, page 9 paragraphs 3-4), a capability which may be desirable.
Regarding claim 2, MIT and KOREA, In combination, disclose the method of claim 1, and MIT further discloses wherein the seed material is selected from a set of gold (metal nanoparticles such as gold nanoparticles; sites could then be functionalized by attaching molecules or nanoparticles (seed material) to the reactive groups anchored to the gel (nucleation sites); gel is stained with streptavidin carrying a 1.4 nm gold nanoparticle; figs. 1A, 1B, paragraphs [0044], [0054], [00631), silver, and copper.
Regarding claim 3, MIT and KOREA, in combination, disclose the method of claim 1, and MIT further discloses establishing nanomaterials in the matrix material (covalent attachment of materials to targeted sites in the gel matrix; sites are functionalized by attaching molecules or nanoparticles to the reactive groups anchored to the gel; fig. 18, paragraph [0054]), but MIT does not disclose wherein adding the final compound, facilitating the ion exchange and replacing the precursor reagent chalcogenide with the final compound further comprises establishing nanomaterials of the form CxE within the matrix material, where C is any metal or metalloid, and where Eis a group VI atom. KOREA discloses wherein adding the final compound, facilitating the ion exchange and replacing the precursor reagent chalcogenide with the final compound (the silver sulfide (precursor reagent chalcogenide) shell is converted into cadmium (final compound); the process proceeds in the presence of methanol and phosphine through a cation exchange reaction; page 5 paragraph 2) further comprises establishing nanomaterials of the form CxE, where C is any metal or metalloid, and where E is a group VI atom (forming a semiconductor layer containing cadmium sulfide, where C is cadmium, a metal, and E is sulfur, a group VI atom; claim 5). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the relevant date, to modify the method of MIT to include wherein adding the final compound, facilitating the ion exchange and replacing the precursor reagent chalcogenide with the final compound further comprises establishing nanomaterials of the form CxE within the matrix material, where C is any metal or metalloid, and where E is a group VI atom, as taught by KOREA, because KOREA discloses a nanoparticle that can significantly improve performance of a photocatalyst which could be used as an eco-friendly energy source production device or a pollutant removal device with superior catalytic performance {KOREA; abstract, page 9, paragraphs 3-4), a capability which may be desirable.
Regarding claim 4, MIT and KOREA, in combination, disclose the method of claim 1, but MIT does not disclose a ligand. KOREA discloses further comprising adding a ligand in solution to the matrix material thereby facilitating ion exchange (in the cation exchange step, a phosphine may be provided; the phosphine can provide a phosphine ligand; page 5 paragraph 6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the relevant date, to modify the method of MIT to include further comprising adding a ligand in solution to the matrix material thereby facilitating ion exchange, as taught by KOREA, because the KOREA teaches that the phosphine ligand can bind strongly to silver ions as a coordination solvent and result in diffusion or removal of silver ions being promoted (KOREA; page 5 paragraph 6).
Regarding claim 5, MIT and KOREA, in combination, disclose the method of claim 1, but MIT does not disclose adding a chalcogen. KOREA discloses wherein adding a chalcogen to form precursor reagent chalcogenide and adding are performed at a temperature range of 0°C -1000°C (next, the surface of the silver shell is sulfided; the silver shell may be provided with a sulfide including sodium sulfide; 2 ml of sulfide (chalcogen) was added and stirred for 5 minutes to convert the silver shell outer layer into silver sulfide (precursor reagent chalcogenide); in this field, temperatures are assumed to be at room temperature (about 25 °C) unless otherwise disclosed; page 4 paragraphs 8-9, page 6 paragraph 6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the relevant date, to modify the method of MIT to include wherein adding a chalcogen to form precursor reagent chalcogenide and adding are performed at a temperature range of 0°C - 1000°C, as taught by KOREA, because KOREA describes a reaction that occurs at room temperature, which is the most cost and resource effective temperature to use if the reaction proceeds at the desired pace.
Regarding for claim 7, MIT and KOREA, in combination, disclose the method of claim 1, and MIT further discloses further comprising, prior to binding the seed material, patterning a reactive group within the matrix material (providing a polymer gel material; infusing the polymer gel material with at least one reactive group; and illuminating the selected voxels within the polymer gel material to yield a pattern of reactive group sites anchored to the polymer gel material; a gel matrix; paragraphs [0029]-[0031], [0054]); and wherein binding the seed material within the matrix material comprises dispersing the seed material and binding the seed material to the reactive group within the matrix material (depositing functional molecules or nanoparticles (seed material) on the reactive group sites; two-photon illumination of a voxel within the gel caused fluorescein to bind at that site in the polymer matrix; sites illuminated could then be functionalized by attaching molecules or nanoparticles (seed material) to the reactive groups anchored to the gel (nucleation sites); gel is stained (dispersed) with streptavidin carrying a 1.4 nm gold nanoparticle; figs. 1A, 16, paragraph [0033], [0054], [0063]).
Regarding claim 8, MIT and KOREA, in combination, disclose the method of claim 7, and MIT further discloses wherein patterning the reactive group within the matrix material comprises dispersing a patterning material with the reactive group through the matrix material and photoactivating the patterning material (infusing the polymer gel material with at least one reactive group; and illuminating the selected voxels within the polymer gel material to yield a pattern of reactive group sites anchored to the polymer gel material; a gel matrix; two-photon illumination of a voxel within the gel caused fluorescein to bind at that site in the polymer matrix (photoactivating); fig. 1A, paragraphs [0029]-[0031], [0054]).
Regarding claim 9, MIT and KOREA, in combination, disclose the method of claim 8, and MIT further discloses wherein the reactive group is a chromophore selected from the set of chromophores comprising fluorescein (illuminating the selected voxels within the polymer gel material to yield a pattern of reactive group sites anchored to the polymer gel material; two-photon illumination of a voxel within the gel caused fluorescein to bind at that site in the polymer matrix; paragraphs [0031], [0054]), rhodamines, squaraine, and cyanmes.
Regarding claim 10, MIT and KOREA, in combination, disclose the method of claim 1, and MIT further discloses further comprising establishing a second compound-within the matrix material (pattern multiple (at least two) different materials into the same substrate; patterning of multiple different kinds of Streptavidin into the polymer gel over subsequent rounds of patterning was achieved; paragraph [0083]), which comprises: binding a second seed material within the matrix material, establishing second nucleation sites (two-photon illumination of a voxel within the gel caused fluorescein to bind at that site in the polymer matrix; sites illuminated could then be functionalized by attaching molecules or nanoparticles (seed material) to the reactive groups anchored to the gel (nucleation sites); Streptavidin is used to anchor metals and semiconductors into the gel; thus multiple different kinds of streptavidin may be patterned into the gel in order to pattern metals and semiconductors (more than one) into the gel; steps are repeated and the functional molecules deposited on the reactive group sites from one iteration to the next are distinct; paragraphs [0054], [0084], claim 31 ); at the second nucleation sites (steps are repeated and the functional molecules deposited on the reactive group sites from one iteration to the next are distinct (second nucleation sites); claim 31), growing a second precursor reagent (a silver enhancement solution is then applied that deposits silver (second precursor reagent) on top of the gold nanoparticle (second nucleation sites);
MIT does not disclose adding a second chalcogen to form second precursor reagent chalcogenide, adding second final compound, facilitating a second ion exchange and replacing the second precursor reagent chalcogenide with the second final compound. KOREA discloses adding a second chalcogen to form second precursor reagent chalcogenide (gold nanoparticles having the silver shell in aqueous solution are mixed with sulfide (second chalcogen) to convert the silver shell outer layer into silver sulfide (second precursor reagent chalcogenide); adding second final compound, facilitating a second ion exchange and replacing the second precursor reagent chalcogenide with the second final compound (the silver sulfide shell (second precursor reagent chalcogenide) is converted into cadmium sulfide; the process proceeds in the presence of methanol and phosphine through a cation exchange reaction (second ion exchange); cadmium precursor may be selected from cadmium acetate, cadmium acetylacetonate, cadmium iodide, cadmium bromide, cadmium chloride, cadmium carbonate, and preferably includes cadmium nitrate tetrahydrate (second final compound). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the relevant date, to modify the method of MIT to include adding a second chalcogen to form second precursor reagent chalcogenide, adding second final compound, facilitating a second ion exchange and replacing the second precursor reagent chalcogenide with the second final compound, as taught by KOREA, because KOREA discloses a nanoparticle that can significantly improve performance of a photocatalyst which could be used as an eco-friendly energy source production device or a pollutant removal device with superior catalytic performance (KOREA; abstract, page 9 paragraphs 3-4), which is a capability that may be desirable.
Regarding claim 11, MIT and KOREA, in combination, disclose the method of claim 1, and MIT further discloses further comprising breaking down the matrix material leaving nanomaterials of the final compound (gel removal in a defined area without damaging the metal structure present; polymer gel material may be removed using a laser; fig. 14, paragraphs [0021], [0047]).
Regarding claim 12, MIT and KOREA, in combination, disclose the method of claim 1, and MIT further discloses wherein the seed material is gold nanomaterials (depositing functional nanoparticles (seed material) on the reactive group sites; metal nanoparticles such as gold nanoparticles; paragraphs [0033], [0044]), and the precursor reagent is silver (an enhancement solution comprising silver may be applied to the polymer gel material causing deposition or growth of silver on top of the metal nanoparticles; paragraph [0045]).
Regarding claim 14, MIT and KOREA, in combination, disclose the method of claim 1, and MIT further discloses wherein the final compound is silver (silver nanowire, created by functionalizing reactive sites with metal nanoparticles; fig. 8, paragraph [0015]).
Regarding claim 16, MIT and KOREA, in combination, disclose the method of claim 1, but MIT does not disclose wherein the final compound comprises cadmium, further comprising adding a phosphine ligand solution, and wherein replacing the precursor reagent chalcogenide with the final compound results in cadmium sulfide. KOREA discloses wherein the final compound comprises cadmium {the silver sulfide is converted into cadmium sulfide CdS; the cadmium precursor may be selected from the group including cadmium acetate, cadmium oxide (final compound); page 5 paragraphs 2-3); further comprising adding a phosphine ligand solution (the process of converting silver sulfide to cadmium sulfide proceeds in the presence of phosphine; a phosphine ligand; page 5 paragraphs 2, 6); and wherein replacing the precursor reagent chalcogenide with the final compound results in cadmium & sulfide (the silver sulfide (precursor reagent chalcogenide) is converted into cadmium sulfide CdS; page 5 paragraph 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the relevant date, to modify the method of MIT to include wherein the final compound comprises cadmium, further comprising adding a phosphine ligand solution, and wherein replacing the precursor reagent chalcogenide with the final compound results in cadmium sulfide, as taught by KOREA, because KOREA discloses a nanoparticle that can significantly improve performance of a photocatalyst which could be used as an eco-friendly energy source production device or a pollutant removal device with superior catalytic performance (KOREA; abstract, page 9 paragraphs 3-4), which is a capability that may be desirable.
Claims 6 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rodriques et al. (US 2017/0081489 A1; hereinafter “MIT”) in view of Han et al. (KR 2017/0006773 A; hereinafter “KOREA”) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Keating et al. (“Growth and surface-enhanced Raman scattering of Ag nanoparticle assembly in agarose gel” (2012) Meas. Sci. Technol. 23 084006 ( 1-9 pp); hereinafter “KEATING”).
Regarding claim 6, MIT and KOREA, in combination, disclose the method of claim 1, and MIT further discloses binding the seed material within the matrix (depositing functional molecules or nanoparticles on the reactive group sites; two-photon illumination of a voxel within the gel caused fluorescein to bind at that site in the polymer matrix; sites illuminated could then be functionalized by attaching molecules or nanoparticles (seed material) to the reactive groups anchored to the gel (nucleation sites); figs. 1A, 1B, paragraph [0033], [0054]).
MIT does not disclose wherein binding the seed material is bound substantially uniformly through the matrix material. KEATING discloses wherein the seed material is found substantially uniformly through the matrix material (silver ions had diffused uniformly throughout the gel; page 2 paragraph 5). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the relevant date, to modify the method of MIT to include wherein the seed material is found substantially uniformly through the matrix material, as taught by KEATING, because this maximizes the use of the gel material volume, and KEATING teaches a process which provides significant nanoparticle stability with a high degree of control of nanoparticle size, morphology, and overall three-dimensional structure within a gel matrix (KEATING; page 2 paragraph 2).
Regarding claim 13, MIT and KOREA, in combination, disclose the method of claim 1, and MIT further discloses wherein the precursor reagent is silver (a silver enhancement solution is then applied that deposits silver (precursor reagent) on top of the gold nanoparticle (nucleation site); paragraph [0063]).
MIT does not disclose wherein the seed material is silver nanomaterials. KEATING discloses disclose wherein the seed material is silver nanomaterials (gel structure permits silver nanoparticles to form in situ; formation of silver seed nuclei; page 2 paragraph 2, page 6 paragraph 6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the relevant date, to modify the method of MIT to include disclose wherein the seed material is silver nanomaterials, as taught by KEATING, because KEATING teaches a process which provides significant nanoparticle stability with a high degree of control of nanoparticle size, morphology, and overall three-dimensional structure within a gel matrix (KEATING; page 2 paragraph 2).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rodriques et al. (US 2017/0081489 A1; hereinafter “MIT”) in view of Han et al. (KR 2017/0006773 A; hereinafter “KOREA”) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Nair et al. (“Cationic-exchange approach for conversion of two dimensional CdS to two dimensional Ag2S nanowires with an intermediate core-shell nanostructure towards supercapacitor application”, (2016) New J. Chem. 40, 101444-10152; hereinafter “NAIR”).
Regarding claim 15, MIT and KOREA, in combination, disclose the method of claim 14, but MIT does not disclose wherein replacing the precursor reagent chalcogenide with the final compound results in silver oxide or silver sulfide nanomaterials. NAIR discloses wherein replacing the precursor reagent chalcogenide with the final compound results in silver oxide or silver sulfide nanomaterials (cationic exchange - CE - of CdS (precursor reagent chalcogenide) to Ag2S, where ion-exchange opens up a new way to control the rate of CE that forms CdS/Ag2S initially, later completely converting to Ag2S as the end product; immersing CdS material in an Ag+ cationic source (final compound), converting to Ag2S; page 10145 paragraphs 3-4, fig. 1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the relevant date, to modify the method of MIT to include wherein replacing the precursor reagent chalcogenide with the final compound results in silver oxide or silver sulfide nanomaterials, as taught by NAIR, because this replaces toxic cadmium ions with silver, which is much less toxic (NAIR; abstract, page 10145 paragraph 3).
Claims 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rodriques et al. (US 2017/0081489 A1; hereinafter “MIT”) in view of Han et al. (KR 2017/0006773 A; hereinafter “KOREA”) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lesnyak et al. (“Alloyed Copper Chalcogenide Nanoplatelets via Partial Cation Exchange Reactions” (2014) www.acsnano.org, Vol. 8, No. 8 pp. 8407-8418; hereinafter LESNYAK)
Regarding claim 17, MIT and KOREA, in combination, disclose the method of claim 1, but MIT does not disclose wherein the final compound is one of a mixture; and the nanomaterial composition is an alloy, composite, or mixture. LESNYAK discloses wherein the final compound is one of a mixture; and the nanomaterial composition is an alloy, composite, or mixture (cation exchange replacement of copper ions by zinc and/or tin cations, yielding homogenously alloyed nanocrystals (nanomaterial composition); when the two precursors are combined in one pot (final compound is a mixture), it is possible to intercalate both Zn and Sn into Cu(2-x)Se(y)S(1-y) NPLs simultaneously, yielding an alloy with a stoichiometry close to Cn2ZnSn(S,Se)4; abstract, page 841 O paragraph 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the relevant date, to modify the method of MIT to include wherein the final compound is one of a mixture; and the nanomaterial composition is an alloy, composite, or mixture, as taught by LESNYAK, because LESNYAK discloses a process where the composition of the particles is easily controllable by adjusting the initial feed ratio of Zn- and/or Sn-precursors in the reaction mixture, while preserving their size, shape and crystal structure; allowing for a precise tuning of the band gap of the obtained materials; (LESNYAK; page 8408 paragraph 3).
Regarding claim 18, MIT, KOREA, and LESNYAK, in combination, disclose the method of claim 17, but MIT does not disclose wherein the final compound contains multiple cations and/ or anions. LESNYAK discloses wherein the final compound contains multiple cations and/ or anions (cation exchange replacement of copper ions by zinc and/or tin cations, yielding homogenously alloyed nanocrystals; when the two precursors are combined in one pot (final compound), it is possible to intercalate both Zn and Sn into Cu(2-x)Se(y)S(1-y) NPLs simultaneously; abstract, page 8410 paragraph 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the relevant date, to modify the method of MIT to include wherein the final compound contains multiple cations and/ or anions, as taught by LESNYAK. because LES NY AK discloses a process where the composition of the particles is easily controllable by adjusting the initial feed ratio of Zn- and/or Sn-precursors in the reaction mixture, while preserving their size, shape and crystal structure; allowing for a precise tuning of the band gap of the obtained materials; (LESNYAK; page 8408 paragraph 3).
Regarding claim 19, MIT, KOREA, and LESNYAK, in combination, disclose the method of claim 17, but MIT does not disclose wherein the final compound contains multiple different cations. LESNYAK discloses wherein the final compound contains multiple different cations' (cation exchange replacement of copper ions by zinc and/or tin cations, yielding homogenously alloyed nanocrystals; when the two precursors are combined in one pot (final compound), it is possible to intercalate both Zn and Sn into Cu(2-x)Se(y)S(1-y) NPLs simultaneously, yielding an alloy with a stoichiometry close to Cn2ZnSn(S,Se)4; abstract, page 8410 paragraph 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the relevant date, to modify the method of MIT to include wherein the final compound contains multiple different cations, as taught by LESNY AK, because LES NY AK discloses a process where the composition of the particles is easily controllable by adjusting the initial feed ratio of Zn- and/or Sn-precursors in the reaction mixture, while preserving their size, shape and crystal structure; allowing for a precise tuning of the band gap of the obtained materials; (LESNYAK; page 8408 paragraph 3).
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rodriques et al. (US 2017/0081489 A1; hereinafter “MIT”) in view of Han et al. (KR 2017/0006773 A; hereinafter “KOREA”) and further in view of Gao et al. ( “Template synthesis of silver Indium sulfide based nanocrystals performed through cation exchange in organic and aqueous media” (2020) Nano Research, 14, 2321-2329; hereinafter “GAO”).
Regarding claim 20, KOREA discloses a method comprising: adding a chalcogen to form a precursor reagent chalcogenide at sites of the precursor reagent (gold nanoparticles having the silver shell in aqueous solution are mixed with sulfide to convert the silver shell outer layer into silver sulfide (precursor reagent chalcogenide); page 6 paragraphs 5-6); adding nanomaterial compound and a ligand solution and facilitating cation exchange replacing the precursor reagent chalcogenide with nanomaterials of the nanomaterial compound (the silver sulfide shell (precursor reagent chalcogenide) is converted into cadmium sulfide; the process proceeds in the presence of methanol and phosphine (ligand solution) through a cation exchange reaction; the cadmium precursor (nanomaterial compound); the phosphine can provide a phosphine ligand; page 5 paragraphs 2-3, 5). KOREA does not disclose providing a gel matrix; patterning a reactive group within the gel matrix; binding a seed material to reactive groups within the gel matrix, the seed material selected from a first set of gold nanomaterials, silver nanomaterials, and copper nanomaterials; binding a precursor reagent to the seed material, or adding a chalcogen to form a chalcogenide via an ion exchange. MIT discloses providing a gel matrix (providing a polymer gel material; molecules covalently bound to a gel matrix; paragraphs [0029], [0054]); patterning a reactive group within the gel matrix (providing a polymer gel material; infusing the polymer gel material with at least one reactive group; and illuminating the selected voxels within the polymer gel material lo yield a pattern of reactive group sites anchored to the polymer gel material; a gel matrix; paragraphs [0029]-[0031], [00541); binding a seed material to reactive groups within the gel matrix {depositing functional molecules or nanoparticles on the reactive group sites; two-photon illumination of a voxel within the gel caused fluorescein to bind at that site in the polymer matrix; sites illuminated could then be functionalized by attaching molecules or nanoparticles (seed material) to the reactive groups anchored to the gel (nucleation sites); gel is stained with streptavidin carrying a 1.4 nm gold nanoparticle; figs. 1A, 18, paragraph [0033], [0054], [0063]), the seed material selected from a first set of gold nanomaterials (metal nanoparticles such as gold nanoparticles; sites could then be functionalized by attaching molecules or nanoparticles {seed material) to the reactive groups anchored to the gel {nucleation sites); gel is stained with streptavidin carrying a 1.4 nm gold nanoparticle; figs. 1A, 1 B, paragraphs [0044], [0054], [0063]), silver nanomaterials, and copper nanomaterials; binding a precursor reagent to the seed material (a silver enhancement solution is then applied that deposits silver (precursor reagent) on top of the gold nanoparticle (seed material); paragraph [0063]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the relevant date, to modify the method of KOREA to include providing a gel matrix; patterning a reactive group within the gel matrix; binding a seed material to reactive groups within the gel matrix, the seed material selected from a first set of gold nanomaterials, silver nanomaterials, and copper nanomaterials; binding a precursor reagent to the seed material, as taught by MIT, because MIT teaches a method enabling three-dimensional nanofabrication assembling custom patterns in up to three dimensions with nanometer resolution (MIT; abstract, paragraph [0005]). GAO discloses forming a chalcogenide comprising Ag and S via an ion exchange (synthesis of AglnS2 based NCs through cation exchange; figure 1 shows ln2S3 being added to Ag+ to create AglnS2 (chalcogenide); abstract). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the relevant date, to modify the method of KOREA to include adding a chalcogen to form a chalcogenide via an ion exchange, as taught by GAO, because GAO discloses a chalcogenide with low toxicity which are candidates for use in optoelectronic and biological devices (GAO; abstract).
Conclusion
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/CHANCEITY N ROBINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1737