Office Action 2: Notice of Allowance (2025-03-07)

CLAIMS:
18378223 IN THE CLAIMS
1\. (original) A method of affixing molecules to a polymer material, comprising: placing the polymer material in a reactor; removing at least a portion of sorbed water present in the polymer material; exposing the polymer material to a metal precursor to produce an inorganic-organic polymer hybrid material; and soaking the polymer hybrid material in a solution comprising the molecules.
2\. (original) The method of claim 1, further comprising exposing the polymer material to an oxidizing fluid.
3\. (original) The method of claim 1, wherein the metal precursor comprises trimethylaluminum (TMA).
4\. (original) The method of claim 1, wherein the metal precursor is in the vapor phase.
5\. (original) The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer material is exposed to the metal precursor for a period of time of at least 1 second.
6\. (original) The method of claim 1, wherein the metal precursor sorbs into the polymer material.
7\. (original) The method of claim 1, wherein placing the polymer material in the reactor comprises placing the polymer material in a reaction chamber comprising TMA and co-reactant water vapor.
8\. (original) The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber is at a temperature of between about 50 °C and 200 °C for at least a portion of the method.
9\. (currently amended) The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer hybrid material is \[\[an\]\] air-stable .
10\. (original) The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer material is selected from the group consisting of a polyester fabric, polyethylenetherephthalate, Kevlar, polyacrylonitrile (PAN), nylon, cellulose acetate, spandex, aramid, nomex, rayon, acrylic, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, neoprene, Dacron, Modal, Lyocell, acetate, Cupro, and Tencel.
11\. (original) The method of claim 1, wherein the reactor comprises: a reaction chamber; a purge gas chamber in fluid communication with the reaction chamber; a water source in fluid communication with the reaction chamber; a vacuum pump configured to apply a vacuum to the reaction chamber; and a precursor source in fluid communication with the reaction chamber.
12\. (currently amended) The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer material is a synthetic fabric and the molecules comprise a dye.
13\. (original) A method of dying a polymer material, the method comprising: placing the polymer material in a reaction chamber; performing a vapor phase infiltration process on the polymer material with a metal precursor in the reaction chamber to create an inorganic-organic polymer hybrid material; and exposing the inorganic-organic polymer hybrid material to a dye.
14\. (original) The method of claim 13, further comprising heating the reaction chamber to a temperature between 25 °C and 400 °C.
15\. (original) The method of claim 13, wherein the vapor phase infiltration process comprises: decreasing a pressure inside the reaction chamber; removing at least a portion of sorbed water in the polymer material; exposing the polymer material to the metal precursor; and exposing the polymer material to an oxidizing fluid to co-react with the metal precursor.
16\. (original) The method of claim 15, wherein the vapor phase infiltration process further comprises purging the reaction chamber using a purge gas.
17\. (original) The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more parameters of the vapor infiltration process are controlled to achieve a desired property of the inorganic-organic polymer hybrid material.
18\. (original) The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more parameters comprise one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of a temperature in the reaction chamber, a pressure in the reaction chamber, a length of time of exposure of the polymer material to the metal precursor, a length of time of exposure to an oxidizing fluid, and a length of time between exposure to a metal precursor and exposure to an oxidizing fluid.
19\. (original) The method of claim 13, wherein the oxidizing fluid comprises one or more of water vapor, oxygen, and hydrogen peroxide.
20\. (original) The method of claim 13, wherein the polymer material is a synthetic polymer material.

OFFICE ACTION:
DETAILED ACTION
1	This action is responsive to the amendment filed on February 11, 2025.
2	The rejection of the claims under 112, second paragraph is withdrawn because of the applicant’s amendment.
3	Claims 1-20 are allowed.
STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR ALLOWANCE
4	The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The closest prior art of record (US 20220298379 A1) teaches a metal-polymer hybrid materials with a high refractive index (see the Title). However, the closest prior art of record (US’ 379 A1) does not teach or disclose the claimed method of affixing molecules to a polymer as claimed. The closest prior art of record (US’ 379 A1) also does not teach or disclose the claimed method of dyeing polymer material as claimed. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter as whole would not have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art of affixing molecules to polymer surfaces.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”

APPLICANT REBUTTAL: REMARKS By the Office Action of 6 February 2025, Claims 1-20 are pending and all allowed save for Claim 9. Applicant thanks the Primary Examiner with appreciation for the careful consideration and examination given to the Application. Applicant submits this Response solely to facilitate prosecution. As such, Applicant reserves the right to pursue Claims of broader or similar scope as originally filed in a continuation Application or other Application after allowance of the present Application. Applicant does not concede that the current or past rejections are correct and reserves the right to challenge such rejections later in prosecution or on appeal. Accordingly, any clarification, argument, or Claim cancelation is not to be construed as abandonment or disclaimer of subject matter. As certain of the current clarification may include broadening clarification, Applicant respectfully requests the Primary Examiner to revisit any previously reviewed references cited in this Application to further ensure that the currently pending Claims remain patentable over any previously reviewed references. Although it is well known to those of skill in the art to what an “ALOx”/polymer hybrid material refers to – it is not a formula in the sense that it is being used to refer to a chemical or range of chemicals by denoting x within a range of atoms of O in a specific formula, it describes a class of, for example, aluminium oxides or aluminium oxide hydroxides - in the interest of compact prosecution, Claim 9 is clarified to remove the allegedly indefinite language. Claim 9 is allowable. Fees This Response is being filed within six months of the Office Action, namely within one month, thus no extension of time fees are believed due. No Claim fees are believed due, as the total Claim count, and the number of independent Claims, remains covered under the original filing fee. Nonetheless, the Commissioner is authorized to charge any fees that may be required for full acceptance of this submission to Deposit Account No. 20-1507. CONCLUSION By the present Response, this Application has been placed in full condition for allowance. Accordingly, Applicant respectfully requests early and favorable action. Should the Primary Examiner have any further questions or reservations, the Primary Examiner is invited to telephone the undersigned Attorney at 404.885.2773. Respectfully submitted, Certificate of Transmission: I hereby certify that this correspondence is being submitted by e-filing to the US Patent and Trademark Office in accordance with §1.8 on this date, via the EFS-Web electronic filing system.


CITED REFERENCE SUMMARIES: Ref US20220298379A1: Claims:
A metal-polymer hybrid composition comprising: a polyoxometalate; and a siloxane-based polyamine, wherein the composition is a coatable composition that upon coating forms a layer wherein the polyoxometalate and the amino groups of the siloxane-based polyamine form crosslinks via an acid-base interaction, and wherein the layer is optically transparent and has a refractive index of at least 1.42.
a polyoxometalate; and
a siloxane-based polyamine, wherein the composition is a coatable composition that
upon coating forms a layer wherein the polyoxometalate and the amino groups of the
siloxane-based polyamine form crosslinks via an acid-base interaction, and wherein
the layer is optically transparent and has a refractive index of at least 1.42.
The metal-polymer hybrid composition of claim 1 , wherein the siloxane-based polyamine comprises at least 2 amino groups, wherein the amino groups are pendant, terminal or a combination thereof.
The metal-polymer hybrid composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyoxometalate comprises a polyoxometalate of tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, tantalum or niobium.
The metal-polymer hybrid composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyoxometalate comprises a tungstosilic acid.
The metal-polymer hybrid composition of claim 1 , wherein the layer comprises a gel composition further comprising a fluid.
The metal-polymer hybrid composition of claim 5 , wherein the fluid comprises a PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) fluid or a polyphenylmethylsiloxane fluid.
The metal-polymer hybrid composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is a solution further comprising at least one solvent.
The metal-polymer hybrid composition of claim 7 , wherein the solution further comprises a fluid.
The metal-polymer hybrid composition of claim 8 , wherein the fluid comprises a PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) fluid or a polyphenylmethylsiloxane fluid.
A metal-polymer hybrid composition comprising: a polyoxometalate; and a siloxane-based monoamine, wherein the composition is a coatable composition that upon coating forms a layer wherein the polyoxometalate and the amino groups of the siloxane-based monoamine form an acid-base interaction, and wherein the layer is optically transparent and has a refractive index of at least 1.42.
a siloxane-based monoamine, wherein the composition is a coatable composition that
siloxane-based monoamine form an acid-base interaction, and wherein the layer is optically transparent and has a refractive index of at least 1.42.
The metal-polymer hybrid composition of claim 10 , wherein the polyoxometalate comprises a polyoxometalate of tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, tantalum or niobium.
The metal-polymer hybrid composition of claim 10 , wherein the polyoxometalate comprises a tungstosilic acid.
The metal-polymer hybrid composition of claim 10 , wherein the composition is a solution further comprising at least one solvent.
The metal-polymer hybrid composition of claim 10 , wherein the composition further comprises a siloxane-based polyamine.
An article comprising: a substrate with a first major surface and a second major surface; a metal-polymer hybrid layer adjacent to at least a portion of the second major surface of the substrate, wherein the metal-polymer hybrid layer comprises a layer prepared from a coatable composition, wherein the coatable composition comprises: a polyoxometalate; and at least one siloxane-based polyamine; and wherein the layer has a thickness of from 50 nanometers-16 micrometers, is optically transparent, and has a refractive index of at least 1.42; and an inorganic barrier layer in contact with the metal-polymer hybrid layer.
a substrate with a first major surface and a second major surface;
a metal-polymer hybrid layer adjacent to at least a portion of the second major surface
of the substrate, wherein the metal-polymer hybrid layer comprises a layer prepared
from a coatable composition, wherein the coatable composition comprises: a polyoxometalate; and at least one siloxane-based polyamine; and
at least one siloxane-based polyamine; and
wherein the layer has a thickness of from 50 nanometers-16 micrometers, is optically
transparent, and has a refractive index of at least 1.42; and
an inorganic barrier layer in contact with the metal-polymer hybrid layer.
The article of claim 15 , wherein the article further comprises a device disposed on the second major surface of the substrate, and adjacent to the metal-polymer hybrid layer.
The article of claim 16 , wherein the device comprises an OLED (organic light-emitting diode).
A method of preparing an article comprising: providing a substrate with a first major surface and a second major surface; providing a coatable composition wherein the coatable composition comprises: a polyoxometalate; and at least one siloxane-based polyamine; disposing the coatable composition on at least a portion of the second major surface of the substrate to form a layer; wherein the layer has a thickness of from 50 nanometers-16 micrometers, the polyoxometalate and the amino groups of the siloxane-based polyamine form a polymeric matrix by an acid-base interaction, and wherein the layer is optically transparent, and has a refractive index of at least 1.42.
providing a substrate with a first major surface and a second major surface;
providing a coatable composition wherein the coatable composition comprises: a polyoxometalate; and at least one siloxane-based polyamine;
at least one siloxane-based polyamine;
disposing the coatable composition on at least a portion of the second major surface of the substrate to form a layer; wherein the layer has a thickness of from 50 nanometers-16 micrometers, the polyoxometalate and the amino groups of the siloxane-based polyamine form a polymeric matrix by an acid-base interaction, and wherein the layer is optically transparent, and has a refractive index of at least 1.42.
The method of claim 18 , wherein the metal-polymer hybrid layer comprises a gel layer comprising polymeric matrix formed by the acid-base interaction of polyoxometalate and siloxane-based polyamine and further comprising a fluid.
The article of claim 18 , wherein the coatable composition further comprises at least one solvent.