Patents Assigned to Rice University
  • Patent number: 9840418
    Abstract: Methods of producing graphene nanoplatelets by exposing graphite to a medium to form a dispersion of graphite in the medium. In some embodiments, the exposing results in formation of graphene nanoplatelets from the graphite. In some embodiments, the medium includes the following components: (a) an acid; (b) a dehydrating agent; and (c) an oxidizing agent. In some embodiments, the methods of the present disclosure result in the formation of graphene nanoplatelets at a yield of more than 90%. In some embodiments, the methods of the present disclosure result in the formation of graphene nanoplatelets in bulk quantities that are more than about a 1 kg of graphene nanoplatelets. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertains to the formed graphene nanoplatelets. In some embodiments, the graphene nanoplatelets include a plurality of layers, such as from about 1 layer to about 100 layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: James M. Tour, Ayrat Dimiev, Gabriel Ceriotti
  • Publication number: 20170342578
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to electrocatalysts that include a surface and a plurality of catalytically active sites associated with the surface. The catalytically active sites include individually dispersed metallic atoms that are associated with heteroatoms. In some embodiments, the surface includes graphene oxide, the heteroatoms include nitrogen, and the metallic atoms include cobalt. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of mediating an electrocatalytic reaction by exposing a precursor material to an electrocatalyst of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the electrocatalytic reaction is a hydrogen evolution reaction that results in the formation of molecular hydrogen from the precursor material. Further embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of making the electrocatalysts of the present disclosure by associating a surface with heteroatoms and metallic atoms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Applicant: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: James M. Tour, Huilong Fei
  • Patent number: 9831424
    Abstract: A nanoporous (NP) memory may include a non-porous layer and a nanoporous layer sandwiched between the bottom and top electrodes. The memory may be free of diodes, selectors, and/or transistors that may be necessary in other memories to mitigate crosstalk. The nanoporous material of the nanoporous layer may be a metal oxide, metal chalcogenide, or a combination thereof. Further, the memory may lack any additional components. Further, the memory may be free from requiring an electroformation process to allow switching between ON/OFF states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: James M. Tour, Gunuk Wang, Yang Yang
  • Patent number: 9820336
    Abstract: A method of wireless local area network communication between a client and an access point includes sending, by the client, a client-originated message to the access point over a bidirectional upload channel; receiving, by the client, a client-acknowledgement message from the access point over the bidirectional upload channel; receiving, by the client, an access point-originated message from the access point over a bidirectional download channel that was generated in response to the client-originated message; and sending, by the client, an access point-acknowledgement message to the access point over the bidirectional download channel. The bidirectional download channel is separate from the bidirectional upload channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Adriana B. Flores Miranda, Edward W. Knightly
  • Patent number: 9806217
    Abstract: A metal-semiconductor-metal photodetecting device and method of manufacturing a metal-semiconductor-metal photodetecting device that includes a p-type silicon substrate with an oxide layer disposed on the p-type silicon substrate. Schotty junctions are disposed adjacent to the oxide layer on the p-type silicon substrate and a plasmonic grating disposed on the oxide layer. The plasmonic grating provides wavelength range selectability for the photodetecting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Bob Yi Zheng, Yumin Wang, Nancy J. Halas, Peter Nordlander
  • Publication number: 20170304801
    Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to materials for CO2 adsorption at pressures above 1 bar, where the materials include a porous material with a surface area of at least 2,800 m2/g, and a total pore volume of at least 1.35 cm3/g, where a majority of pores of the porous material have diameters of less than 2 nm as measured from N2 sorption isotherms using the BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) method. The present disclosure also pertains to materials for separation of CO2 from natural gas at partial pressures of either component above 1 bar, where the materials include a porous material with a surface area of at least 2,200 m2/g, and a total pore volume of at least 1.00 cm3/g, where a majority of pores of the porous material have diameters of greater than 1 nm and less than 2 nm as measured from N2 sorption isotherms using the BET method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Applicants: William Marsh Rice University, Apache corporation
    Inventors: Saunab Ghosh, Andrew R. Barron, Jason Ho
  • Patent number: 9786257
    Abstract: Embodiments of a capo and fretting component are described. In certain embodiments, the fretting component is threaded onto a crossbar configured to overlie the instrument strings when in use and to pivot with respect to the crossbar so as to contact and press the strings against a fret on the instrument neck. The fretting component is offset with respect to the attachment mechanism of the capo, allowing the attachment mechanism to be offset on the neck of the instrument from where it would normally be positioned to achieve a comparable fretting effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Daniel Curtis Blacker, Matthew Carroll, John Vinson Jaggers
  • Patent number: 9776165
    Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure pertains to materials for use in CO2 capture in high pressure environments. In some embodiments, the materials include a porous carbon material containing a plurality of pores for use in a high pressure environment. Additional embodiments pertain to methods of utilizing the materials of the present disclosure to capture CO2 from various environments. In some embodiments, the materials of the present disclosure selectively capture CO2 over hydrocarbon species in the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: James M. Tour, Desmond E. Schipper, Chih-Chau Hwang, Josiah Tour, Almaz S. Jalilov, Gedeng Ruan, Yilun Li
  • Patent number: 9777013
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present disclosure provides new analogs of uncialamycin of formulae (I) and (II). The present disclosure also provides novel synthetic pathways to obtaining uncialamycin and analogs thereof. Additionally, the present disclosure also describes methods of use of uncialamycin and analogs thereof. In another aspect, the present disclosure provides antibody-drug conjugates comprising the compounds of formulae (I) and (II).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignees: WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY, THE SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY
    Inventors: Kyriacos C. Nicolaou, Min Lu, Debashis Mandal, Sanjeev Gangwar, Naidu S. Chowdari, Yam B. Poudel
  • Patent number: 9768992
    Abstract: A system and method for simultaneous and asynchronous transmissions in multi-antenna multi-hop networks. The system and method employ randomized and non-greedy resource allocation to counter starvation. The system and method define a class of asynchronous random access protocols subsuming MIMO systems via two components. Residual Capacity Estimation and Randomized Resource Allocation. The system and method realize the first asynchronous MIMO MAC protocol that counters flow starvation in multi-hop networks. Randomized and non-greedy antenna allocation coupled with local residual capacity estimation results in previously-starving nodes capturing a fair share of system resources while simultaneously exploiting throughput gains available to multi-antenna systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Ahmed Khattab, Ashutosh Sabharwal, Edward W. Knightly
  • Publication number: 20170250793
    Abstract: A novel nonlinear impulse sampler is presented that provides a clock sharpening circuit, sampling stage, and post-sampling block. The clock sharpening circuit sharpens the incoming clock while acting as a buffer, and the sharpened clock is fed to the input of the sampling stage. The impulse sampling stage has two main transistors, where one transistor generates the impulse and the other transistor samples the input signal. Post-sampling block processes the sampled signal and acts as a sample and hold circuit. The architecture uses an ultrafast transmission-line based inductive peaking technique to turn on a high-speed sampling bipolar transistor for a few picoseconds. It is shown that the sampler can detect impulses as short as 100psec or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Himanshu Aggrawal, Aydin Babakhani
  • Publication number: 20170246592
    Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure pertains to systems and methods for distilling a fluid by exposing the fluid to a porous membrane that includes a surface capable of generating heat. In some embodiments, the heat generated at the surface propagates the distilling of the fluid by converting the fluid to a vapor that flows through the porous membrane and condenses to a distillate. In some embodiments, the surface capable of generating heat is associated with a photo-thermal composition that generates the heat at the surface by converting light energy from a light source to thermal energy. In some embodiments, the photo-thermal composition includes, without limitation, noble metals, semiconducting materials, dielectric materials, carbon-based materials, composite materials, nanocomposite materials, nanoparticles, hydrophilic materials, polymers, fibers, meshes, fiber meshes, hydrogels, hydrogel meshes, nanomaterials, and combinations thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Qilin Li, Jinjian Wu, Nancy J. Halas, Katherine R. Zodrow, Haoli Guo, Jiarui Xu, Cong Yu
  • Publication number: 20170242091
    Abstract: An integrated electron spin resonance (ESR) circuit chip includes a chip substrate, a transmitter circuit, and a receiver circuit. The transmitter circuit and receiver circuit are disposed on the chip substrate. The transmitter circuit includes an oscillator circuit configured to generate an oscillating output signal and a power amplifier (PA) circuit configured to generate an amplified oscillating output signal based on the oscillating output signal. The receiver circuit receives an ESR signal from an ESR probe. The receiver circuit includes a receiver amplifier circuit configured to generate an amplified ESR signal based on the received ESR signal, a mixer circuit configured to receive the amplified ESR signal and to down-convert the amplified ESR signal to a baseband signal, and a baseband amplifier circuit configured to generate an amplified baseband signal based on the baseband signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Xuebei Yang, Charles Chen, Payam Seifi, Aydin Babakhani
  • Publication number: 20170243668
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of making carbon nanotube-coated substrates by dissolving carbon nanotubes in a solvent to form a carbon nanotube solution; and coating a surface of a substrate with the carbon nanotube solution to form one or more carbon nanotube layers on the surface of the substrate. The carbon nanotube solution may include a superacid solvent. A cable made out of the carbon nanotube-coated substrates may include one or more internal insulating layers that surround the surface of one or more internal conductors. Carbon nanotube solutions may be coated onto the one or more internal insulating layers to form one or more carbon nanotube layers. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to carbon nanotube-coated substrates formed by the methods of the present disclosure. The carbon nanotube-coated substrates may include one or more carbon nanotube layers derived from a carbon nanotube solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Matteo Pasquali, Francesca Mirri, Tienyi Theresa Hsu Whiting
  • Patent number: 9739473
    Abstract: In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a system to create vapor for generating electric power. The system includes a vessel comprising a fluid and a complex and a turbine. The vessel of the system is configured to concentrate EM radiation received from an EM radiation source. The vessel of the system is further configured to apply the EM radiation to the complex, where the complex absorbs the EM radiation to generate heat. The vessel of the system is also configured to transform, using the heat generated by the complex, the fluid to vapor. The vessel of the system is further configured to sending the vapor to a turbine. The turbine of the system is configured to receive, from the vessel, the vapor used to generate the electric power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Nancy J. Halas, Peter Nordlander, Oara Neumann
  • Patent number: 9718045
    Abstract: Composite materials and methods of preparing C02 capture include: (1) a porous solid support comprising a plurality of porous channels; and (2) a nucleophilic source associated with the porous channels of the porous solid support. The nucleophilic source is capable of converting the captured C02 to poly(C02). Methods of capturing C02 from an environment include associating the environment with the aforementioned composite materials to lead to the capture of C02 from the environment. Such methods may also include a step of releasing the captured C02 from the composite material. The associating step comprises a conversion of the captured C02 to poly(C02) in the composite material. A releasing step may also include a depolymerization of the formed poly(C02).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: WILLIAM MARCH RICE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: James M. Tour, Chih-Chau Hwang
  • Publication number: 20170210699
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention provides novel derivatives of viridicatumtoxin of the formula wherein the variables are as defined herein. The application also provides compositions, methods of treatment, and methods of synthesis thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicant: WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Kyriacos C NICOLAOU, Christopher R.H. HALE, Christian NILEWSKI, Heraklidia IOANNIDOU, Abdellatif EL MARROUNI
  • Publication number: 20170204721
    Abstract: Systems and methods for fracture mapping may utilize frequency changing to aid in providing high-resolution mapping. Integrated chips may be injected into a well and dispersed into a formation. A downhole tool that provides a transmitter and receiver may be positioned in the well. The transmitter may transmit electromagnetic (EM) signals into the formation. The dispersed integrated chips may receive the transmitted EM signal and return a frequency-changed signal to the receiver of the downhole tool. Utilizing the returned frequency changed signal, the system is able to determine the locations of the integrated chips that have been dispersed into the formation and provide fracture mapping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Applicant: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventor: Aydin Babakhani
  • Publication number: 20170204719
    Abstract: A well monitoring system may provide a plurality of integrated chips dispersed in cement surrounding a well casing. Each of the integrated chips may provide energy harvesting circuitry, EM transceiver, modulator, additional sensor(s), processor or microprocessor, memory, power source, or the like. Upon analyzing data gather from the sensor(s), emitted and detected EM waves, the system may provide information about the cement thickness at different parts of the well, cement setting/curing, local electrical permittivity, local magnetic permeability, temperature, pressure, pH, local NMR spectrum, local ESR spectrum, local florescence response, local porosity, local permeability, etc. Further, the integrated chips may be utilized to transmit/receive the abovementioned data, other data (e.g. command data, power signal, etc.), or the like to/from the main transceiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Applicant: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventor: Aydin Babakhani
  • Patent number: 9709580
    Abstract: A bio-nano-chip (BNC) technology that works in connection with non-invasive samples, such as saliva, cheek swab or urine samples that can be easily performed by non-specialists, such as security personnel and police officers is disclosed. The microfluidic system for drug testing includes an analyzer or reader having a housing containing a slot for receiving a cartridge, a drug testing cartridge, a processor having a user interface, an optical or energy sensing means, and a means for moving fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: John T. McDevitt, Nicolaos Christodoulides, Pierre N. Floriano, Glennon Simmons