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 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.
Claims 1-2, 5-9, 11 and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hu et al (Light-Controlled Selective Disruption, Multilevel Patterning, and Sequential Release with Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films Incorporating Four Photocleavable Chromophores, Chem. Mater. 2017, 29, 2951−2960), cited in IDS.
Hu teaches a photolabile polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs), produced by the layer-by-layer (LbL) approach, which comprise commercially available photoinert polyanions (i.e. polyelectrolyte) and photolabile polycations of the following formula (see Figure 3 at 2953, meeting the limitations of claims 12 and 9):
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92
88
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where
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174
156
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Note that M3/P3 is a photocleavable nitroaryl, recited in instant claim 1.
Photolabile PEMs prepared by depositing on plasma cleaned quartz (i.e., substrate) slides by alternating immersion of the substrates into one of P1−P4 solutions at pH 6.0 and a PSS solution (see page 2953, left column).
Thus, all limitations of claims 2 and 5-7 are met.
In reference to claim 8, Hu teaches a multilayered composition (see Figure 2 at 2952).
Noe that all limitations of claims 11-12 are met when y=0.
Regarding claim 14, Hu teaches a surface patterning (see Abstract and page 2951, right column).
In reference to claims 15, 18 and 20, Hu teaches a method comprising steps of photolithographic patterning of films at multiple heights using different irradiation conditions and photomasks (see Abstract), degradation of photocleavable groups and result in film dissolution in rinsing solutions (see page 2954, left column) and making
In reference to claim 16, Hu teaches that common interactions used to build layer-by layer LbL films include ion pairing interactions, hydrogen bonding, and metal coordination (see page 2951, left column). It is clear that first and second layers contain complimentary groups.
Regarding claim 19, Hu teaches that the spatial arrangement of materials perpendicular to the surface, together with the spatiotemporal distribution of different wavelengths of light on the surface, allows for photopatterning of films to yield complex micropatterns (see page 2952, left column).
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 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hu et al as applied to claims 1-2, 5-9, 11-12 and 14-20 above, and further in view of Nakamura et al. (Volume and temperature change behaviors of photothermal convertible hydrogels, Polymer 116 (2017) pages , 534-539).
Hu does not teach a pigment and carbon black.
Nakamura teaches a photoresponsive behaviors of thermosensitive hydrogels formed from Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-acrylamide) (PNIPAm) and poly(N-n-propyl-acrylamide) (PNNPAm) containing carbon black (CB) investigated by comparing experimental and simulation results. It was observed that the surface temperatures of irradiated gels increased rapidly after the irradiation to a peak and then decreased exponentially. The CB-PNIPAm gel shrank and its size synchronized with the surface temperature rise and reached a constant between the shrunken and swelling states. (see Abstract).
The reference discloses that photosensitive hydrogels have attention because of their potential applications as a light-driven switch and actuator (see page 534, left column).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use carbon black in Hu’s composition in order to use the composition as a light-driven switch and actuator.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10 and 13 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.
Search for prior art does not result in a poly(1-pyrenemethyl methacrylate) (PPy) copolymer in photocleavable multilayer composition.
The closest prior art is represented by Basu et al (WO 2020171520, cited herein with identical US 20220149342)
Basu teaches a composition for the solution-phase deposition of thin films on conversion anodes in lithium-ion batteries (see Abstract), which can include PPy (see 0030).
However, Basu does not teach PPy use in photolabile polyelectrolyte multilayer composition.
Liu et al (US 20200395614) discloses an emulsion comprising solid particles of a single composition, or a mixture thereof, comprising a polymer comprising one monomer of an aryl methacrylate, or a mixture thereof, co-polymerized with a monomer of an alkyl methacrylate (see Abstract).
In particular, Liu teaches a composition comprising PPy (see 0077) and carbon black (see 0083)
However, Liu does not teach PPy use in photolabile polyelectrolyte multilayer composition.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY LISTVOYB whose telephone number is (571)272-6105. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5pm EST M-F.
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GL
/GREGORY LISTVOYB/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1765
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