Abstract: The present invention generally relates to methods for performing metathesis reactions, including cross-metathesis reactions. Methods described herein exhibit enhanced activity and stereoselectivity, relative to known methods, and are useful in the synthesis of a large assortment of biologically and therapeutically significant agents.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 8, 2011
Date of Patent:
December 3, 2013
Assignees:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Trustees of Boston College
Inventors:
Amir H. Hoveyda, Simon J. Meek, Robert V. O'Brien, Josep Llaveria Cros, Richard R. Schrock
Abstract: Metamaterial devices with environmentally responsive materials are disclosed. In some embodiments, a metamaterial perfect absorber includes a first patterned metallic layer, a second metallic layer electrically isolated from the first patterned metallic layer by a gap, and an environmentally responsive dielectric material positioned in the gap between the first patterned metallic layer and the metallic second layer.
Type:
Application
Filed:
May 24, 2013
Publication date:
November 28, 2013
Applicant:
The Trustees of Boston College
Inventors:
Willie J. Padilla, Salvatore Savo, Christopher M. Bingham, David Shrekenhamer, Wen-Chen Chen
Abstract: Provided herein are compounds useful for selectively labeling an apoptotic cell, and methods and assays using such compounds for the detection of an apoptotic cell in vivo or in a biological sample obtained from a subject.
Abstract: Nanoscale photovoltaic devices fabricated from nanoscale waveguides that receive, propagate, and convert incident light into electrical neural signals, and methods of using these photovoltaic devices for visual perception are disclosed herein. A visual neuroprosthetic device includes an array of nanoscale waveguides each nanoscale waveguide in the array having a photovoltaic material located between an internal conductor and an external conductor, wherein each nanoscale waveguide receives, propagates, and converts incident light into electrical neural signals.
Abstract: Methods of forming a conductive metal layers on substrates are disclosed which employ a seed layer to enhance bonding, especially to smooth, low-roughness or hydrophobic substrates. In one aspect of the invention, the seed layer can be formed by applying nanoparticles onto a surface of the substrate; and the metallization is achieved by electroplating an electrically conducting metal onto the seed layer, whereby the nanoparticles serve as nucleation sites for metal deposition. In another approach, the seed layer can be formed by a self-assembling linker material, such as a sulfur-containing silane material.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 24, 2011
Date of Patent:
November 12, 2013
Assignees:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Trustees of Boston College, GMZ Energy, Inc.
Inventors:
Hsien-Ping Feng, Gang Chen, Yu Bo, Zhifeng Ren, Shuo Chen, Bed Poudel
Abstract: The present invention generally relates to methods for performing metathesis reactions, including cross-metathesis reactions. Methods described herein exhibit enhanced activity and stereoselectivity, relative to known methods, and are useful in the synthesis of a large assortment of biologically and therapeutically significant agents.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 8, 2011
Date of Patent:
October 8, 2013
Assignees:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Trustees of Boston College
Inventors:
Amir H. Hoveyda, Simon J. Meek, Robert V. O'Brien, Josep Llaveria Cros, Richard R. Schrock
Abstract: Thermoelectric devices and associated materials and assembly methods are generally described. Certain aspects relate to electrode materials and electrode configurations for use in thermoelectric devices. In some embodiments, the inventive thermoelectric devices comprise electrodes comprising silicon, such as silicides of cobalt, iron, and/or nickel. Such electrode materials can be useful for making electrical contact with a wide variety of thermoelectric materials, including skutterudite materials. The thermoelectric devices described herein can be used to convert applied voltages to thermal gradients and or to convert thermal gradients to electricity.
Type:
Application
Filed:
March 23, 2012
Publication date:
September 26, 2013
Applicants:
Trustees of Boston College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract: The invention is generally related to assays and methods for determining the risk of an HIV+ individual for developing a macrophage-mediated disease using measurement of soluble CD163 levels in a biological sample. The invention also provides assays and methods for monitoring efficacy of a treatment or a drug for a macrophage-mediated disease, and assays and methods for screening for agents to treat a macrophage-mediated disease in an HIV+ individual by monitoring soluble CD163 levels.
Type:
Application
Filed:
September 27, 2011
Publication date:
September 19, 2013
Applicants:
THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION, TRUSTEES OF BOSTON COLLEGE
Inventors:
Kenneth C. Williams, Tricia Burdo, Steven K. Grinspoon, Eric Rosenberg
Abstract: Thermoelectric materials and methods of making thermoelectric materials having a nanometer mean grain size less than 1 micron. The method includes combining and arc melting constituent elements of the thermoelectric material to form a liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material and casting the liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material to form a solid casting of the thermoelectric material. The method also includes ball milling the solid casting of the thermoelectric material into nanometer mean size particles and sintering the nanometer size particles to form the thermoelectric material having nanometer scale mean grain size.
Type:
Application
Filed:
December 19, 2012
Publication date:
July 11, 2013
Applicants:
TRUSTEES OF BOSTON COLLEGE, GMZ ENERGY, INC.
Inventors:
GMZ Energy, Inc., Trustees of Boston College
Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for detecting terahertz radiation at room temperature. A detecting pixel includes a sub-wavelength split-ring resonator, and is mechanically coupled to (but thermally decoupled from) a substrate via a cantilever formed from two materials that have a significant mismatch in their thermal expansion coefficients. Incident radiation causes the split-ring resonator to resonate, thereby generating heat that is transferred to the cantilever, causing the cantilever to flex. An optical readout system includes a secondary light source, such as a laser, that shines on a reflective surface on the pixel, whereby a photodiode detects the reflected light and permits calculation of a relative deflection of the pixel in the nanometer range. An exemplary detector has a noise equivalent power rating of approximately 60 pW/?Hz.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 4, 2011
Date of Patent:
May 28, 2013
Assignees:
Trustees of Boston University, Trustees of Boston College
Inventors:
Richard Averitt, Xin Zhang, Hu Tao, Andrew Strikwerda, Willie J. Padilla, Eric Shaner
Abstract: An apparatus and methods for solar conversion using nanoscale cometal structures are disclosed herein. The cometal structures may be coaxial and coplanar. A nanoscale optics apparatus for use as a solar cell comprises a plurality of nanoscale cometal structures each including a photovoltaic material located between a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor. A method of fabricating solar cells comprises preparing a plurality of nanoscale planar structures; coating a plurality of planar surfaces of the plurality of planar structures with a photovoltaic semiconductor while leaving space between the plurality of planar surfaces; and coating the photovoltaic semiconductor with an outer electrical conductor layer, wherein a portion of the outer electrical conductor layer is located between the planar structures to form coplanar structures.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 22, 2011
Date of Patent:
April 30, 2013
Assignee:
The Trustees of Boston College
Inventors:
Krzysztof J. Kempa, Michael J. Naughton, Zhifeng Ren, Jakub A. Rybczynski
Abstract: The present invention relates generally to catalysts and processes for the Z-selective formation of internal olefin(s) from terminal olefin(s) via homo-metathesis reactions.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 30, 2009
Date of Patent:
January 29, 2013
Assignees:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Trustees of Boston College
Inventors:
Richard R. Schrock, Annie J. King, Yu Zhao, Margaret M. Flook, Amir H. Hoveyda
Abstract: Thermoelectric materials and methods of making thermoelectric materials having a nanometer mean grain size less than 1 micron. The method includes combining and arc melting constituent elements of the thermoelectric material to form a liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material and casting the liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material to form a solid casting of the thermoelectric material. The method also includes ball milling the solid casting of the thermoelectric material into nanometer mean size particles and sintering the nanometer size particles to form the thermoelectric material having nanometer scale mean grain size.
Type:
Application
Filed:
December 19, 2011
Publication date:
December 27, 2012
Applicants:
Trustees of Boston College, GMZ Energy, Inc.
Inventors:
Zhifeng Ren, Xiao Yan, Giri Joshi, Gang Chen, Bed Poudel, James Christopher Caylor
Abstract: The present invention relates generally to olefin metathesis. In some embodiments, the present invention provides methods for Z-selective ring-closing metathesis.
Type:
Application
Filed:
June 1, 2012
Publication date:
December 20, 2012
Applicants:
TRUSTEES OF BOSTON COLLEGE, MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Inventors:
Amir H. Hoveyda, Miao Yu, Chenbo Wang, Richard R. Schrock
Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to nanocomposite thermoelectric materials that exhibit enhanced thermoelectric properties. The nanocomposite materials include two or more components, with at least one of the components forming nano-sized structures within the composite material. The components are chosen such that thermal conductivity of the composite is decreased without substantially diminishing the composite's electrical conductivity. Suitable component materials exhibit similar electronic band structures. For example, a band-edge gap between at least one of a conduction band or a valence band of one component material and a corresponding band of the other component material at interfaces between the components can be less than about 5kBT, wherein kB is the Boltzman constant and T is an average temperature of said nanocomposite composition.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 19, 2008
Date of Patent:
October 23, 2012
Assignees:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Trustees of Boston College
Inventors:
Gang Chen, Mildred Dresselhaus, Zhifeng Ren
Abstract: Methods of forming a conductive metal layers on substrates are disclosed which employ a seed layer to enhance bonding, especially to smooth, low-roughness or hydrophobic substrates. In one aspect of the invention, the seed layer can be formed by applying nanoparticles onto a surface of the substrate; and the metallization is achieved by electroplating an electrically conducting metal onto the seed layer, whereby the nanoparticles serve as nucleation sites for metal deposition. In another approach, the seed layer can be formed by a self-assembling linker material, such as a sulfur-containing silane material.
Type:
Application
Filed:
February 24, 2011
Publication date:
August 30, 2012
Applicants:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, GMZ Energy, Inc., The Trustees of Boston College
Inventors:
Hsien-Ping Feng, Gang Chen, Yu Bo, Zhifeng Ren, Shuo Chen, Bed Poudel