Patents by Inventor Mark C. Hersam

Mark C. Hersam 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: 20230008590
    Abstract: This invention in one aspect relates to a method of synthesizing a self-assembled mixed-dimensional heterostructure including 2D metallic borophene and 1D semiconducting armchair-oriented graphene nanoribbons (aGNRs). The method includes depositing boron on a substrate to grow borophene thereon at a substrate temperature in an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber; sequentially depositing 4,4?-dibromo-p-terphenyl on the borophene grown substrate at room temperature in the UHV chamber to form a composite structure; and controlling multi-step on-surface coupling reactions of the composite structure to self-assemble a borophene/graphene nanoribbon mixed-dimensional heterostructure. The borophene/aGNR lateral heterointerfaces are structurally and electronically abrupt, thus demonstrating atomically well-defined metal-semiconductor heterojunctions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Mark C. Hersam, Qiucheng Li, Xiaolong Liu, Eden B Aklile
  • Publication number: 20230004803
    Abstract: This invention relates to memtransistors, fabricating methods and applications of the same. The memtransistor includes a polycrystalline monolayer film of an atomically thin material. The polycrystalline monolayer film is grown directly on a sapphire substrate and transferred onto an SiO2/Si substrate; and a gate electrode defined on the SiO2/Si substrate; and source and drain electrodes spatially-apart formed on the polycrystalline monolayer film to define a channel region in the polycrystalline monolayer film therebetween. The gate electrode is capacitively coupled with the channel region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Mark C. Hersam, Jiangtan Yuan, Stephanie E. Liu, Vinod K. Sangwan, Amit R. Trivedi
  • Patent number: 11492720
    Abstract: Solid-state supercapacitors and microsupercapacitors comprising printed graphene electrodes and related methods of preparation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Mark C. Hersam, Ethan B. Secor, Lei Li
  • Publication number: 20220344665
    Abstract: A composite material and a method for fabricating the same. The composite material includes graphene and active material particles. Each surface of the active material particles is conformally coated with said graphene. The method includes forming a mixture containing an active material, graphene, ethyl cellulose (EC) polymer and multiwalled carbon nanotubes, and thermally annealing the mixture at an annealing temperature in an oxidizing environment to decompose the majority of EC, thereby resulting in the composite material having each active material particle coated with a conformal graphene coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Mark C. Hersam, Norman S. Luu, Jin-Myoung Lim
  • Publication number: 20220243036
    Abstract: A composite film usable as a separator of an electrochemical device includes hBN nanosheets and at least one polymer. The hBN nanosheets are uniformly dispersed within a matrix of said least one polymer to achieve a highly porous microstructure. Said at least one polymer comprises one or more electrically insulating and electrochemically inert polymers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Mark C. Hersam, Ana Carolina Mazarin de Moraes
  • Publication number: 20220242740
    Abstract: The invention relates to two dimensional (2D) heterostructures and methods of fabricating the same. The 2D hetero structures are integration of borophene with graphene and 2D lateral and vertical hetero structures with sharp and rotationally commensurate interfaces. The rich bonding configurations of boron indicate that borophene can be integrated into a diverse range of 2D heterostructures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Mark C. Hersam, Xiaolong Liu
  • Publication number: 20220209293
    Abstract: This invention discloses high-modulus, ion-conductive gel electrolytes and methods of making the gel electrolytes and electrochemical devices. The gel electrolytes include an ionic liquid and nanosheets mixed in the ionic liquid. The nanosheets in one example include exfoliated hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) nanosheets. Compared to conventional bulk hBN microparticles, exfoliated hBN nanosheets improve the mechanical properties of the gel electrolytes by about 2 orders of magnitude, while retaining high ionic conductivity at room temperature. Moreover, exfoliated hBN nanosheets are compatible with high-voltage cathodes, and impart exceptional thermal stability that allows high-rate operation of solid-state rechargeable lithium-ion batteries at high temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Mark C. Hersam, Woo Jin Hyun
  • Publication number: 20220153589
    Abstract: In various embodiments functionalized graphene oxide(s) are provided that demonstrate improved antimicrobial activity, where the graphene oxide(s) are functionalized to increase carbon radical (.C) density.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicants: The Regents of the University of California, Northwestern University
    Inventors: Andre E. Nel, Tian Xia, Ruibin Li, Mark C. Hersam, Nikhita D. Mansukhani, Linda Guiney
  • Publication number: 20220145104
    Abstract: The invention relates to printable ion-conductive and viscosity-tunable inks based on two-dimensional (2D) insulators, forming methods and applications of the inks. The 2D insulating material based printable ink includes at least one solvent; and an exfoliated composition dispersed in the at least one solvent. The exfoliated composition includes a 2D insulating material and a dispersant and stabilizing agent. The printed structures of the 2D insulating material based printable ink possess high ionic conductivity, chemical and thermal stability, and electrically insulating character, which are an ideal set of characteristics for printable battery components such as separators and solid electrolytes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Mark C. Hersam, Ana Carolina Mazarin de Moraes, Jung-Woo Ted Seo
  • Publication number: 20220076898
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a dye sensitized solar cell has a counter-electrode including carbon-titania nanocomposite thin films made by forming a carbon-based ink; forming a titania (TiO2) solution; blade-coating a mechanical mixture of the carbon-based ink and the titania solution onto a substrate; and annealing the blade-coated substrate at a first temperature for a first period of time to obtain the carbon-based titania nanocomposite thin films. In certain embodiments, the carbon-based titania nanocomposite thin films may include solvent-exfoliated graphene titania (SEG-TiO2) nanocomposite thin films, or single walled carbon nanotube titania (SWCNT-TiO2) nanocomposite thin films.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Yu Teng Liang, Baiju K. Vijayan, Kimberly A. Gray, Mark C. Hersam
  • Patent number: 11208330
    Abstract: In various embodiments functionalized graphene oxide(s) are provided that demonstrate improved antimicrobial activity, where the graphene oxide(s) are functionalized to increase carbon radical (.C) density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignees: The Regents of the University of California, Northwestern University
    Inventors: Andre E. Nel, Tian Xia, Ruibin Li, Mark C. Hersam, Nikhita D. Mansukhani, Linda Guiney
  • Publication number: 20210398808
    Abstract: Printable inks based on a 2D semiconductor, such as MoS2, and its applications in fully inkjet-printed optoelectronic devices are disclosed. Specifically, percolating films of MoS2 nanosheets with superlative electrical conductivity (10-2 s m-1) are achieved by tailoring the ink formulation and curing conditions. Based on an ethyl cellulose dispersant, the MoS2 nanosheet ink also offers exceptional viscosity tunability, colloidal stability, and printability on both rigid and flexible substrates. Two distinct classes of photodetectors are fabricated based on the substrate and post-print curing method. While thermal annealing of printed devices on rigid glass substrates leads to a fast photoresponse of 150 ?s, photonically annealed devices on flexible polyimide substrates possess high photoresponsivity exceeding 50 mA/W.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Mark C. HERSAM, Jung-Woo Ted SEO, Jian ZHU
  • Patent number: 11195667
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a dye sensitized solar cell has a counter-electrode including carbon-titania nanocomposite thin films made by forming a carbon-based ink; forming a titania (TiO2) solution; blade-coating a mechanical mixture of the carbon-based ink and the titania solution onto a substrate; and annealing the blade-coated substrate at a first temperature for a first period of time to obtain the carbon-based titania nanocomposite thin films. In certain embodiments, the carbon-based titania nanocomposite thin films may include solvent-exfoliated graphene titania (SEG-TiO2) nanocomposite thin films, or single walled carbon nanotube titania (SWCNT-TiO2) nanocomposite thin films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yu Teng Liang, Baiju K. Vijayan, Kimberly A. Gray, Mark C. Hersam
  • Publication number: 20210344036
    Abstract: Composites comprising anode and cathode active materials conformally coupled to few-layered graphene, corresponding electrodes and related methods of preparation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Inventors: Mark C. Hersam, Kan-Sheng Chen, Ethan B. Secor
  • Patent number: 11088392
    Abstract: Composites comprising anode and cathode active materials conformally coupled to few-layered graphene, corresponding electrodes and related methods of preparation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Mark C. Hersam, Kan-Sheng Chen, Ethan B. Secor
  • Publication number: 20210215636
    Abstract: Methods and systems of fabrication of high resolution, high-throughput electrochemical sensing circuits on a substrate. High resolution electrochemical sensing circuits are printed by an effective additive technique to the substrate. Optionally, post-print annealing converts electrochemically inactive printed graphene into one that is electrochemically active. The printing can be by aerosol jet printing, but is not necessarily limited thereto. An example is inkjet printing and then the post-print annealing. Ink formulation would be adjusted for effectiveness with inkjet printing. Optionally biorecognition agents can be covalently bonded to the printed graphene for the purpose of electrochemical biosensing. High throughput fabrication of high-resolution graphene circuits (feature sizes in the tens of microns <50 ?m) for electrochemical biosensing is possible by chemical functionalization of the graphene surface with a biological agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Jonathan Claussen, Kshama Parate, Mark C. Hersam, Sonal V. Rangnekar
  • Patent number: 11057994
    Abstract: Articles, electronic devices and related methods of fabrication interfacing graphene with a gallium liquid metal alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignees: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE
    Inventors: Mark C. Hersam, Ethan B. Secor, Alexander B. Cook, Christopher Tabor
  • Publication number: 20210194003
    Abstract: Anhydrous liquid-phase exfoliation of germanium sulfide to provide few-layer germanium sulfide, as can be incorporated into electronic devices such as but not limited to batteries and cells comprising such materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Mark C. HERSAM, David LAM, Kan-Sheng CHEN, Joohoon KANG
  • Publication number: 20210175419
    Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to a multi-terminal memtransistor. The memtransistor includes a substrate having a first surface and an opposite, second surface, a polycrystalline monolayer film formed of an atomically thin material on the first surface of the substrate, an electrode array having a plurality of electrodes spatial-apart formed on the polycrystalline monolayer film such that each pair of electrodes defines a channel in the polycrystalline monolayer film therebetween, and a gate electrode formed on the second surface of the substrate and capacitively coupled with the channel. The polycrystalline monolayer film contains grains defining a plurality of grain boundaries thereof. The multi-terminal memtransistor operates much like a neuron by performing both memory and information processing, and can be a foundational circuit element for new forms of neuromorphic computing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Vinod K. SANGWAN, Hong-Sub LEE, Mark C. HERSAM
  • Publication number: 20210147235
    Abstract: Preparation of two-dimensional indium selenide, other two-dimensional materials and related compositions via surfactant-free deoxygenated co-solvent systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: Mark C. HERSAM, Joohoon KANG