Patents by Inventor Cristin E. Moran

Cristin E. Moran has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20110111182
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes an article and a method of forming a microstructure. The method includes providing a substrate having a structured surface region comprising one or more recessed features with recessed surfaces. The structured surface region is substantially free of plateaus. The method includes disposing a fluid composition comprising a functional material and a liquid onto the structured surface region. The method includes evaporating liquid from the fluid composition. The functional material collects on the recessed surfaces such that a remainder of the structured surface region is substantially free of the functional material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Inventors: Matthew S. Stay, Mikhail L. Pekurovsky, Cristin E. Moran, Matthew H. Frey
  • Publication number: 20110100957
    Abstract: A method of forming a petterned substracte is provided. The method includes providing a substrate (300) having a structured surface region comprising one or more recessed features (310). The method includes disposing a first liquid (325) onto at least a portion of the structured surface region. The method includes contacting the first liquid with a second liquid (330). The method includes 300 displacing the first liquid with the second liquid from at least a portion (315) of the structured surface region. The first liquid is selectively located in at least a portion of the one or more recessed features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventors: Cristin E. Moran, Matthew H. Frey, Matthew S. Stay, Mikhail L. Pekurovsky
  • Publication number: 20110020540
    Abstract: A method of making encapsulated chromonic nanoparticles includes exposing crosslinked chromonic nanoparticles to an acid selected from the group consisting of carbonic acid, phosphoric acid, lactic acid, citric acid, boric acid, sulfuric acid, and mixtures thereof in the presence of water to encapsulate the crosslinked nanoparticles in a shell comprising a complex comprising the chromonic material, the multivalent cations, and the acid anions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Inventors: Hassan Sahouani, Sanat Mohanty, Cristin E. Moran
  • Patent number: 7824732
    Abstract: A method of making encapsulated chromonic nanoparticles includes exposing crosslinked chromonic nanoparticles to an acid selected from the group consisting of carbonic acid, phosphoric acid, lactic acid, citric acid, boric acid, sulfuric acid, and mixtures thereof in the presence of water to encapsulate the crosslinked nanoparticles in a shell comprising a complex comprising the chromonic material, the multivalent cations, and the acid anions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Hassan Sahouani, Sanat Mohanty, Cristin E. Moran
  • Patent number: 7718716
    Abstract: A chromonic nanoparticle mixture prepared by combining (i) a continuous water-soluble polymer phase and (ii) a discontinuous chromonic phase comprising a chromonic material; and non-covalently crosslinking the resulting chromonic nanoparticles with a polyvalent cation salt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Sanat Mohanty, Cristin E. Moran, Hassan Sahouani, Larry D. Boardman
  • Publication number: 20090324955
    Abstract: A method of making a multilayered chromonic structure comprises (a) preparing a first aqueous mixture comprising (i) a first continuous water-soluble polymer phase and (ii) a first discontinuous chromonic phase comprising a chromonic material, to form chromonic nanoparticles; (b) non-covalently crosslinking the resulting chromonic nanoparticles with a multivalent cation salt; (c) dispersing the resulting crosslinked chromonic nanoparticles in a composition comprising a chromonic material to form a chromonic nanoparticle dispersion; and (d) preparing a second aqueous mixture comprising (i) a second discontinuous chromonic phase comprising the chromonic nanoparticle dispersion and (ii) a second continuous water-soluble polymer phase, to encapsulate the chromonic nanoparticles; wherein at least one of the first discontinuous chromonic phase and the second discontinuous chromonic phase further comprises a guest compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Inventors: Sanat Mohanty, Hassan Sahouani, Cristin E. Moran
  • Patent number: 7629027
    Abstract: A chromonic nanoparticle mixture prepared by combining (i) a continuous water-soluble polymer phase and (ii) a discontinuous chromonic phase comprising a chromonic material; and non-covalently crosslinking the resulting chromonic nanoparticles with a polyvalent cation salt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Cristin E. Moran, Hassan Sahouani, Larry D. Boardman, Sanat Mohanty
  • Patent number: 7601769
    Abstract: A method of making a multilayered chromonic structure comprises (a) preparing a first aqueous mixture comprising (i) a first continuous water-soluble polymer phase and (ii) a first discontinuous chromonic phase comprising a chromonic material, to form chromonic nanoparticles;(b) non-covalently crosslinking the resulting chromonic nanoparticles with a multivalent cation salt; (c) dispersing the resulting crosslinked chromonic nanoparticles in a composition comprising a chromonic material to form a chromonic nanoparticle dispersion; and (d) preparing a second aqueous mixture comprising (i) a second discontinuous chromonic phase comprising the chromonic nanoparticle dispersion and (ii) a second continuous water-soluble polymer phase, to encapsulate the chromonic nanoparticles; wherein at least one of the first discontinuous chromonic phase and the second discontinuous chromonic phase further comprises a guest compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Peroperties Company
    Inventors: Sanat Mohanty, Hassan Sahouani, Cristin E. Moran
  • Patent number: 6875475
    Abstract: This process results in directed electroless plating of the metal to form discrete metal structures over the entire surface. Because the surface is pre-patterned with passivated regions inert to metal deposition, the metal is directed only to the unstamped regions. This allows the formation of unconnected metal structures without any chemical etching steps. These metallic arrays are varied in size, separation and shape by using gratings of different periodicities and blaze angles as the stamp templates. A variety of well-defined geometric patterns have been fabricated and imaged using scanning probe, scanning electron, and optical microscopies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Cristin E. Moran, Corey J. Radloff, Naomi J. Halas
  • Publication number: 20040009298
    Abstract: This process results in directed electroless plating of the metal to form discrete metal structures over the entire surface. Because the surface is pre-patterned with passivated regions inert to metal deposition, the metal is directed only to the unstamped regions. This allows the formation of unconnected metal structures without any chemical etching steps. These metallic arrays are varied in size, separation and shape by using gratings of different periodicities and blaze angles as the stamp templates. A variety of well-defined geometric patterns have been fabricated and imaged using scanning probe, scanning electron, and optical microscopies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Applicant: Wm. Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Cristin E. Moran, Corey J. Radloff, Nancy J. Halas