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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I in the reply filed on July 7, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-14 are pending. Claims 7-14 are withdrawn.
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 2 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 2 recites “the metal” and there is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation. It is suggested to recite “wherein the metal-organic network comprises a metal including”.
Claim 3-4 are 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 3 recites “the organic” and there is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation. It is suggested to recite “wherein the metal-organic network comprises an organic ligand including”. Claim 4 is subsumed under the rejection.
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 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hao et al (Synergistic Integration of MXene and Metal-Organic Framework for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution in an Alkaline Environment).
Regarding claims 1 and 5, Hao et al teaches 2D MXene Ti3C2Tx encapsulated with ZIF-8 (C24H30N12Zn3) (Abstract, Pg. 4).
Hao et al teaches the limitations of the instant claims; hence Hao et al anticipates the claims.
Claims 1-3, 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al (Constructing 2D Sandwich-like MOF/MXene Heterostructures for Durable and Fast Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries).
Regarding claims 1-3, 5-6, Wang et al Cu-HHTP (hexahydroxytriphenylene) modified V2CTx MXene nanosheets (Abstract, Introduction Pg. 2, Figure 1).
Wang et al teaches the limitations of the instant claims; hence, Wang et al anticipates the claims.
Claims are 1-3, 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhao et al (Interdiffusion Reaction-Assisted Hybridization of Two-Dimensional Metal-Organic Framework and Ti3C2Tx Nanosheets for Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution).
Regarding claims 1-3, 5, Zhao et al 2D MXene Ti3C2Tx hybridized with 2D cobalt 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate, Figure 1 teaches the Ti3C2Tx-CoBDC hybrid (which satisfies surface modification) (Abstract, Figure 1).
Zhao et al teaches the limitations of the instant claims; hence, Zhao et al anticipates the claims.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 is 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 and overcoming the 112(b) rejections above.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record fails to teach or suggest a 2D MXene surface modified metal organic network comprising an organic ligand selected from Formulas 1-15 and there is no motivation to provide the instant claim limitations.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Tan et al (Electrostatically directed assembly of two-dimensional ultrathin Co2Ni-MOF/Ti3C2Tx nanosheets for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution).
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/TANISHA DIGGS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1761 August 7, 2026
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