DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-13 in the reply filed on 08/14/2026 is acknowledged.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because the labels in Fig. 1 are illegible. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu et al. (CN 114045705 A) with reference to the provided machine translation, hereinafter referred to as YU, in view of Barthwal et al. (Fabrication of robust and durable slippery anti-icing coating on textured superhydrophobic aluminum surfaces with infused silicone oil. Applied Surface Science, 496, 2019, 143677), hereinafter referred to as BARTHWAL.
Regarding claim 1, YU teaches a fluorine-free super-hydrophobic flexible photothermal film and a preparation method thereof (see YU at paragraph [4]). YU teaches a preparation method of a fluorine-free super-hydrophobic flexible photothermal film, comprising the following steps: disperse the photothermal material in an organic solvent to obtain a first dispersion; adding a silane coupling agent to the first dispersion, and dispersing to obtain a second dispersion (see YU at paragraphs [6-8]). YU also teaches that the photothermal material is titanium nitride nanoparticles and that the silane coupling agent is polydimethylsiloxane (see YU at paragraphs [10] and [16]).
YU discloses that the silane coupling agent can reduce the surface energy of the coating and increase the hydrophobicity, increase the adhesion between the photothermal nanomaterial and the substrate, and improve the mechanical strength of the coating; after the reaction is coated on the flexible substrate, different levels of micro-nano structures are formed on the surface of the coating, which provides the necessary conditions to achieve super-hydrophobicity (see YU at paragraph [26]). Additionally, YU teaches that the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) used in the present invention has the advantages of low price, good adhesion, stable chemical properties, etc., and at the same time, it has adhesion, which increases the adhesion between nanoparticles and the substrate, in the preparation process, it can reduce the surface energy of the coating, improve the hydrophobic performance, and can also be used as a binder to make the coating closely adhere to the surface of the substrate, so as to obtain a photothermal coating with superhydrophobic properties and achieve super-hydrophobic anti-icing (see YU at paragraph [27]). While YU teaches a photothermal layer comprising nanoparticles and poly(dialkylsiloxane), YU fails to explicitly teach the composite comprising an outer slippery layer comprising a first poly(dialkylsiloxane) and an oil.
However, BARTHWAL discloses a facile and durable biomimetic slippery anti-icing coating prepared by infusing nontoxic and inexpensive lubricating silicone oil into superhydrophobic dual-scale micro/nano-structured (MNS) aluminum surfaces; superhydrophobic surfaces were fabricated via the combination of simple chemical etching and anodization, followed by surface modification with poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS); compared to superhydrophobic coatings, silicone oil-infused polydimethylsiloxane (SOIP) coating displays a low ice-adhesion strength; and that the SOIP modified MNS-surface displays better anti-icing properties compared to a nano-structured (NS) surface under harsh conditions: icing/deicing and abrasion cycles (see BARTHWAL at Abstract). BARTHWAL teaches that the PDMS coated MNS-surface once infused with silicone oil exhibits a greatly reduced ice-adhesion strength; that this lower ice-adhesion strength is assigned to the complete impregnation of silicone oil into the PDMS coating and the micro/nanostructured surface, which induces additional interfacial slippage between the ice and the substrate surface; additionally, the SOIP-surface provides an ultra-smooth solid-liquid interface with fewer defects and the ice formation mostly takes place on the ultra-smooth mobile phase of the silicone oil, this combined effect results in a very weak interaction between the ice and the substrate, which leads to low ice-adhesion strength on the fabricated surface (see BARTHWAL at 3.2. Anti-icing properties, left column, 2nd paragraph, p. 5). Additionally, BARTHWAL teaches that the disclosed technique can be easily applied to various (textured) substrates for the development of durable and scalable anti-icing coatings with low ice-adhesion strength (see BARTHWAL at 4. Conclusion, p. 8).
One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized the potential benefit of improving the super-hydrophobic flexible photothermal micro-nano porous structure of YU by applying a silicone oil-infused polydimethylsiloxane coating (SOIP) disclosed by BARTHWAL since BARTHWAL explicitly teaches that the SOIP modified MNS-surface displays better anti-icing properties compared to a nano-structured (NS) surface (see BARTHWAL at Abstract).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the super-hydrophobic flexible photothermal film of YU by disposing an outer slippery layer disclosed by BARTHWAL on a surface of a photothermal layer in order to improve the anti-icing properties of the coating.
Regarding claim 2, YU as modified by BARTHWAL teaches the coating composite of claim 1, wherein the oil comprises a perfluorinated oil, a silicone oil, a C12-C20 alkane, a mineral oil, a plant oil, or a mixture thereof (see rejection of claim 1 above and BARTHWAL at Abstract: silicone oil).
Regarding claim 3, YU as modified by BARTHWAL teaches the coating composite of claim 1, wherein the oil comprises a silicone oil, a mineral oil, a C12-C20 alkane, a plant oil or a mixture thereof (see rejection of claim 1 above and BARTHWAL at Abstract: silicone oil).
Regarding claim 4, YU as modified by BARTHWAL teaches the coating composite of claim 1, wherein the oil comprises a silicone oil (see rejection of claim 1 above and BARTHWAL at Abstract: silicone oil).
Regarding claim 5, YU as modified by BARTHWAL teaches the coating composite of claim 1, wherein the first and the second poly(dialkylsiloxane) independently comprise a poly(C1-C6)alkylsiloxane (see YU at paragraph [16]: the silane coupling agent is polydimethylsiloxane; and BARTHWAL at Abstract: silicone oil-infused polydimethylsiloxane).
Regarding claim 6, YU as modified by BARTHWAL teaches the coating composite of claim 1, wherein the first and the second poly(dialkylsiloxane) comprise polydimethylsiloxane (see YU at paragraph [16]: the silane coupling agent is polydimethylsiloxane; and BARTHWAL at Abstract: silicone oil-infused polydimethylsiloxane).
Regarding claim 7, YU as modified by BARTHWAL teaches the coating composite of claim 1, wherein the photothermal nanoparticles comprise plasmonic metal nanoparticles (see YU at paragraph [10]: the photothermal material is titanium nitride nanoparticles), semiconductor nanoparticles, carbon nanotube nanoparticles, graphene nanoparticles, graphene oxide nanoparticles, carbon black, polyaniline nanoparticles, polypyrrole nanoparticles, or a mixture thereof.
Regarding claim 8, YU as modified by BARTHWAL teaches the coating composite of claim 1, wherein the photothermal nanoparticles comprise plasmonic metal nanoparticles (see YU at paragraph [10]: the photothermal material is titanium nitride nanoparticles), semiconductor nanoparticles, or a mixture thereof.
Regarding claim 9, YU as modified by BARTHWAL teaches the coating composite of claim 1, wherein the photothermal nanoparticles comprise silver nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, palladium nanoparticles, titanium dioxide nanoparticles, titanium nitride nanoparticles, silicon carbide nanoparticles, or a mixture thereof (see YU at paragraph [10]: the photothermal material is titanium nitride nanoparticles).
Regarding claim 10, YU as modified by BARTHWAL teaches the coating composite of claim 1, wherein the photothermal nanoparticles comprise titanium nitride nanoparticles (see YU at paragraph [10]: the photothermal material is titanium nitride nanoparticles).
Regarding claim 12, YU as modified by BARTHWAL teaches the coating composite of claim 1, wherein the outer slippery interface layer comprises polydimethylsiloxane and mineral oil (see rejection of claim 1 above and BARTHWAL at Abstract: silicone oil-infused polydimethylsiloxane); and the photothermal layer comprises titanium nitride nanoparticles and polydimethylsiloxane (see YU at paragraphs [10]: the photothermal material is titanium nitride nanoparticles, and [16]: the silane coupling agent is polydimethylsiloxane).
Claims 11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YU in view of BARTHWAL as applied to claims 1 and 12 above, and further in view of Jiang et al. (CN 115449268 A) with reference to the provided machine translation, hereinafter referred to as JIANG, and Xing et al. (Slippery coatings with mechanical robustness and self-replenishing properties as potential application on magnesium alloys. Chemical engineering Journal, 418, 2021, 129079), hereinafter referred to as XING.
Regarding claims 11 and 13, YU as modified by BARTHWAL teaches the coating composite of claims 1 and 12. But YU as modified by BARTHWAL fail to explicitly teach wherein the oil and the first poly(dialkylsiloxane) are present in the outer slippery interface layer in a mass ratio of 0.15:1 to 0.45:1, respectively; and the photothermal nanoparticles and the second poly(dialkylsiloxane) are present in the photothermal layer in a mass ratio of 5:95 to 2:3, respectively (claim 11), or wherein the mineral oil and the polydimethylsiloxane are present in the outer slippery interface layer in a mass ratio of 1:4 to 1:3, respectively; and the titanium nitride nanoparticles and the polydimethylsiloxane are present in the photothermal layer in a mass ratio of 1:9 to 2:3, respectively (claim 13).
However, JIANG, similarly to YU, discloses a flexible and stickable electrothermal/photothermal super-hydrophobic coating and a preparation method thereof (see JIANG at paragraph [1]). JIANG also discloses that the superhydrophobic photothermal coating has excellent superhydrophobic properties, it can make the droplets detach from the surface of the object before freezing, so it has a certain anti-icing performance (see JIANG at paragraph [2]). JIANG teaches a coating comprising the mass ratio of 0.1~0.6:0.1~0.2:0.1~0.3:0.1~0.3:0.01~0.06, PDMS, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, graphite powder, titanium nitride nanoparticles, PDMS curing agent (see JIANG at paragraph [5](2)). Thus, JIANG teaches photothermal super-hydrophobic coating comprising titanium nitride nanoparticles and PDMS in a mass ratio of 1:2 to 1:1.
Furthermore, XING, similarly to BARTHWAL, discloses a durable polydimethylsiloxane/silicone oil (PDMS-oil) system with mechanical robustness and self-replenishing property (see XING at Abstract). XING teaches the ultrathin layer of lubricant prevents the ice from sticking to the coating surface, greatly reducing ice adhesion; and that each cycle will make the silicone oil layer thinner on the surface, and then the silicone oil molecules stored in the PDMS will diffuse to the surface to regenerate a skin layer of oil, therefore, the PDMS-oil coating possesses the self-replenishing property and more oil infused into the PDMS coating exhibits better anti-icing durability (see XING at 2.3. Anti-icing property, left column, p. 4). Additionally, XING teaches preparation of PDMS-oil samples prepared with the content of silicone oil of 10 wt%, 30 wt% and 50 wt% (see XING at 2. Results and discussion, right column, p. 2). Thus, XING teaches polydimethylsiloxane/silicone oil (PDMS-oil) system comprising silicone oil and PDMS in a mass ratio of 0.1:1, 0.42:1 and 1:1.
MPEP states that "[w]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation", and “the normal desire of scientists or artisans to improve upon what is already generally known provides the motivation to determine where in a disclosed set of percentage ranges is the optimum combination of percentages” (see MPEP § 2144.05(II)(A)). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have selected amounts from within the range taught by JIANG and XING because there is a reasonable expectation of success that adjusting the mass ratio of titanium nitride nanoparticles and PDMS to be within the range of 1:2 to 1:1 as disclosed by JIAND, and adjusting the mass ratio of silicone oil and PDMS to 0.1:1, 0.42:1 and 1:1 as disclosed by XING would be suitable.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wang et al. (Ultraflexible Photothermal Superhydrophobic Coating with Multifunctional Applications Based on Plasmonic TiN Nanoparticles. Advanced Optical Materials, 2022, 10, 2200168) discloses a superhydrophobic coating with excellent flexibility; the coating is obtained by spraying titanium nitride (TiN) nanoparticles embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) solution onto various substrates (Abstract).
He et al. (Superhydrophobic and photothermal SiC/TiN durable composite coatings for passive anti-icing/active de-icing and de-frosting. Materials Today Physics, 2023, 30, 100927) discloses a superhydrophobic coating with a photothermal effect for anti-icing and de-icing and defrosting performance; the coating is designed using a simple secondary spray method; that is, a bonding substrate (epoxy resin) is first constructed on the glass substrate, then a protective layer (polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)) mixed with SiC/TiN composite particles is sprayed onto the epoxy resin surface, and finally dried to obtain a photothermal superhydrophobic coating (Abstract).
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/ANASTASIA A. KUVAYSKAYA/Examiner, Art Unit 1731
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