Mashed Articles

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7419624.html
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7419651.html

Many of the basic fabrication methods for single walled nanotube production have come from research out of Rice University. While most of Rice’s patents have previously focused on the single walled carbon nanotube type, a recent set of issued patents based on continuations (with priority going back to the 1990′s) have extended the patent coverage to “fullerene nanotubes” which may include double or multiwall nanotubes types that are being explored as field emitters and transparent electrodes in electronics and display applications.

US Patent 7419624 – Claims 1 and 3

1. A method of producing a composite material comprising fullerene nanotube material, wherein said fullerene nanotube material comprises fibers of fullerene nanotubes, and wherein said method comprises:
(a) preparing an assembly of a fibrous material;
(b) adding said fullerene nanotube material to said fibrous material; and
(c) adding a matrix material to said fullerene nanotube material and said fibrous material.

3. A composite material comprising fullerene nanotubes, a fibrous structural constituent and a matrix material, wherein the matrix material comprises a polymer and the fibrous structural constituent comprises carbon, and wherein the fullerene nanotubes comprise fullerene nanotube fibers.

(US Patent 7419651) Claims 1 and 13

1. A three-dimensional structure that self-assembles from derivatized fullerene nanotubes comprising: a plurality of multifunctional fullerene nanotubes assembled into said three-dimensional structure.

13. A structure formed by the process comprising:
(a) providing fullerene nanotubes derivatized with at least one functionally-specific agent;
(b) exposing the derivatized nanotubes to another moiety for which the functionally-specific agent has an attraction; and
(c) recovering assemblies formed by the derivatized nanotubes.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7413973.html

In order to create nanoscale sensors or electronics it is often necessary to create electrode gaps having nanometer scale dimensions. A variety of techniques exist to form such nanoscale gaps including electron beam lithography and the precise application of mechanical stress to an electrode to create a gap in the electrode. However, these techniques are not amenable to mass production and are difficult to control. This patent from the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute of South Korea teaches a method of forming lateral spaced apart electrodes using a spacer which may provide a more convenient road to large scale applications. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for manufacturing a nano-gap electrode device, comprising the steps of:

forming a first electrode on a substrate;

forming a spacer on a sidewall of the first electrode;

forming a second electrode on an exposed substrate at a side of the spacer; and

forming a nano-gap between the first electrode and the second electrode by removing the spacer, wherein, after the second electrode is formed, a portion of the spacer on the sidewall of the first electrode remains exposed.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7410697.html

This patent from SAIC is fairly basic to the incorporation of nanoparticles in polymers (priority: Nov. 1, 2001) and teaches methods of fabrication in which the agglomeration of the nanoparticles is avoided. Claim 1 reads:

1. A composition of matter comprising a polymer fiber with a plurality of controllably spaced nanoparticles integrated into the polymer fiber; wherein the nanoparticles are derivatized to function as a monomer in the polymer fiber.