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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al (US 20200203759). Regarding claim 1, the reference is directed to a nonaqueous electrolyte solution comprising a solvent, an electrolyte salt, and a thiol compound ([0070], [0073], [0075]). The thiol compound can be 2-trifluoromethoxy thiophenol or 3-trifluoromethoxy thiophenol ([0070]), which meet the limitations of claim 1 (the thiol compound comprises at least one electron withdrawing group, OCF3). Regarding claim 2, the content rate of the thiol compound is 0.01-5% by weight in the electrolyte ([0071]) which anticipates the claimed range. Regarding claim 6, the electrolyte is contained in a battery comprising a positive and negative electrode ([0085]). Thus, the instant claims are anticipated.
Claims 1, 2, 6, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2021/220601. Sato et al (US 20230170528) is taken as an English equivalent of WO ‘601. Regarding claim 1, the reference is directed to a nonaqueous electrolyte solution comprising a solvent, an electrolyte salt, and a triazine dithiol compound ([0026]). The compound is
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(6-alkylthio-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-dithiol) wherein the alkylthio triazine moiety is an electron withdrawing group. Regarding claim 2, the content rate of the thiol compound is 0.01-5% by weight in the electrolyte ([0024]) which anticipates the claimed range. Regarding claim 6, the electrolyte is contained in a battery comprising a positive and negative electrode ([0013]). Regarding claim 7, the positive electrode material is LiNi0.88Co0.09Al0.03O2 ([0070]). Thus, the instant claims are anticipated.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record does not teach or fairly suggest a nonaqueous electrolyte wherein the thiol group has any of the electron-withdrawing R groups recited in claim 3, nor is any of the specific chemicals recited in claim 5.
In particular, with respect to claim 3 which recites “methoxy” as an option, it is noted that the -OCF3 group noted above in Kim is not a “methoxy” group. Further, as the reference is predicated on fluorinated hydrocarbon groups, a modification to -OCH3 would not be obvious.
In addition, it is noted that WO 2025111296 is directed to electrolyte compositions. The electrolyte can comprise any of many different additives. It is noted that N-acetyl-L-cysteine methyl ester (recited in claim 5) is disclosed in [0032], however it is listed as part of a disclosure which includes hundreds of possible compounds. There would have been no apparent reason to select N-acetyl-L-cysteine methyl ester specifically. It is further noted that the disclosure is directed to multifunctional group solvents that each comprise at least two different types of organic electron-donating (not withdrawing) functional groups ([0005]).
WO 2015003560 is further cited as teaching an electrolyte solvent of N-mercaptoethyl amide, among other solvents (page 4 of attached translation). This compound appears to contain a thiol and an electron withdrawing group (carbonyl in amide; relevant to claims 3 and 4). However, the combination recited in claim 1 is not obvious from the reference. The compound is disclosed as a solvent, and there are many other solvents listed. Additionally, an “additive” is disclosed as a maleimide which is not encompassed by the instant claims. The claimed combination of a solvent, a salt, and a thiol compound is not obvious from this disclosure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jonathan Crepeau whose telephone number is (571) 272-1299. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday from 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Nicole Buie-Hatcher, can be reached at (571) 270-3879. The phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 272-1700. Documents may be faxed to the central fax server at (571) 273-8300.
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/Jonathan Crepeau/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1725
September 24, 2026
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