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 .
Applicant’s election, with traverse, of Group I directed to claims 1-9, 11-13 and 15. Applicant’s arguments are persuasive. Claims 1-9, 11-13, and 15-22 will be examined.
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 1-4-6, 8-9, 11 and 16-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Therien et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2019/0189249 in view of Nishio et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2016/0260882.
Regarding claims 1-2, 5, 8-9,11, 16-17, 19-21, Therien discloses in paragraph 0089 superstructures comprising chiral aryleneethynylene polymer-wrapped SWNT’s wherein the polymer wraps the SWNT in a left-handed helical configuration that features a constant helical pitch length of 10 nm. Additionally, paragraph 0089 discloses SWNT’s single-chain helically wrapping mechanism with binaphthalene-based polyanionic semiconductor polymer [S-PBN-Ph5]. The title of Therien discloses an electric device.
Theiren is silent to the superstructure having a metallic single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) having a chiral index (n, m) where (n- m)/3 is an integer or 0; and wherein the polymer that wraps a surface of the metallic SWNT is formed of repeat units. Nishio disclose an electric device [0003] including a polymer including an aryleneethynylene [0177] and metallic single walled carbon nanotubes [0080 and 0082]. Paragraph 0081 discloses that the chiral index (n,m) for the single walled CNT’s has a value of (n-m) is a multiple of 3. When the (n-m) is a multiple of 3, the chiral index of Nishio reads on Applicant’s chiral index. A multiple of 3 divided by 3 will provide an integer. Nishio discloses in paragraphs 0206 that the composition including the SWNT’s and the polymer has electric conductive properties. Theiren and Nishio are analogous art in that both references are directed to electric devices including single-walled carbon nanotubes and a polymer such as aryleneethynylene. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would utilize the metallic single walled carbon nanotubes and the aryleneethynylene polymer in Theiren to provide enhanced electroconductive properties in the superstructure of Theiren.
Neither Theiren nor Nishio discloses wherein each repeat unit has at least one charged functional group per 1-3 nm of polymer length. Theiren discloses in paragraph 0017 a charged doped polymer wrapped SWNT’s. Also, Nishio discloses in paragraph 0182 that the number of substituents is not particularly limited. Paragraph 0181 of Nishio discloses that the substituent can include a sulfonic acid group [charged functional group]. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing invention to optimize the number of functional groups along the distance of the polymer to 1-3 nm of polymer length to ensure desired wrapping of the polymer around the SWNT’s in Theiren.
Regarding claims 3 and 18, neither Theiren nor Nishio disclose that the aryleneethynylene units contain 10 or few carbon fused aromatic rings. However, this is an optimizable feature it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize aryleneethynylene units having 10 or few carbon fused aromatic rings for the benefit of ensuring tighter wrapping of the polymer around the metallic single walled carbon nanotubes.
Regarding claims 4 and 6, paragraph 0178 discloses that the polymer can include a conjugate polymer containing thiophene.
Claims 12-13 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Therien et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2019/0189249 in view of Nishio et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2016/0260882 and in further view of Lashmore et al., U.S. pre Grant Publication 2020/0262706.
Therien et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2019/0189249 in view of Nishio et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2016/0260882, above, remain relied upon for claims 1 and 16.
Regarding claims 12-13 and 22, neither Theiren nor Nishio disclose a chiral index as recited in claims 12-13 and 22, Lashmore discloses metallic nanotubes having preselected chirality of (11,11) and (12,12) [abstract]. Paragraph 0003 discloses the carbon nanotubes for the fabrication of wires. Paragraph 0006 discloses improved conductivity. Theiren, Nishio and Lashmore are analogous art in that the references disclose single walled nanotubes. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize metallic single walled carbon nanotubes having a chirality of (11,11) for the benefit of enhanced conductivity.
Claims 1 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Appenzeller et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2012/0142158 in view of Therien et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2019/0189249 in view of Nishio et al., U.S. Pre Grant Publication 2016/0260882.
Regarding claim 15, Appenzeller discloses field effect transistors, particularly carbon-nanotube field effect transistors [0003 wherein the nanotube is a single-walled nanotube [0021]. Paragraph 0008 discloses an electrically active channel region. Appenzeller is silent to the superstructure as recited in claim 1. Therien discloses in paragraph 0089 superstructures comprising chiral aryleneethynylene polymer-wrapped SWNT’s wherein the polymer wraps the SWNT in a left-handed helical configuration that features a constant helical pitch length of 10 nm. Additionally, paragraph 0089 discloses SWNT’s single-chain helically wrapping mechanism with binaphthalene-based polyanionic semiconductor polymer [S-PBN-Ph5]. The title of Therien discloses an electric device.
Theiren is silent to the superstructure having a metallic single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) having a chiral index (n, m) where (n- m)/3 is an integer or 0; and wherein the polymer that wraps a surface of the metallic SWNT is formed of repeat units. Nishio disclose an electric device [0003] including a polymer including an aryleneethynylene [0177] and metallic single walled carbon nanotubes [0080 and 0082]. Paragraph 0081 discloses that the chiral index (n,m) for the single walled CNT’s has a value of (n-m) is a multiple of 3. When the (n-m) is a multiple of 3, the chiral index of Nishio reads on Applicant’s chiral index. A multiple of 3 divided by 3 will provide an integer. Nishio discloses in paragraphs 0206 that the composition including the SWNT’s and the polymer has electric conductive properties.
Appenzeller, Theiren and Nishio are analogous art in that the references disclose single walled carbon nanotubes in electronic devices. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to utilize the structure formed from the combination of Theiren and Nishio to obtain enhanced electric conductive properties in the field transistor.
Claim 7 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. Applicant claims a superstructure as recited in claim 1, further including wherein the charged functional group is an alkoxy sulfonic acid. The closest prior art, Theiren as disclosed above fails to teach or suggest that the charged functional group is an alkoxy sulfonic acid.
Conclusion
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/CAMIE S THOMPSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786
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