Patents by Inventor ROBERT J. MACFARLANE

ROBERT J. MACFARLANE 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).

  • Patent number: 11873396
    Abstract: Nanostructures and associated compositions, systems, and methods are provided. In some embodiments, a nanostructure may comprise polymers, intermolecular bonding groups, and a particle. The polymers may be associated with the particle and the intermolecular bonding groups may be associated with at least some of the polymers. In some embodiments, at least some of the intermolecular bonding groups may have a different chemical composition and/or chemical property than the polymers. In some embodiments, nanostructures may reversibly associate with each other via the intermolecular bonding groups to form a material. In some such cases, the intermolecular bonding groups on different nanostructures may reversibly associate with each other. In some embodiments, the nanostructures may be designed, such that the energy required to disassociate at least a portion of the nanostructures in the material is greater than the energy required to dissociate a single association between intermolecular bonding groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Robert J. Macfarlane, Jianyuan Zhang, Peter Jeffries Santos, Paul Anthony Gabrys
  • Publication number: 20230079151
    Abstract: Compositions, articles, and methods involving pressure-sensitive adhesives comprising polymer-grafted particles are generally described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Applicants: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, tesa SE
    Inventors: Robert J. Macfarlane, Griffen Desroches, Jacob Przyojski
  • Publication number: 20230076513
    Abstract: Composites comprising polymer grafted particles that are capable of forming interparticle interactions, and related methods, are generally described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Applicant: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Robert J. Macfarlane, Joshua Kubiak
  • Publication number: 20220033639
    Abstract: Nanostructures and associated compositions, systems, and methods are provided. In some embodiments, a nanostructure may comprise polymers, intermolecular bonding groups, and a particle. The polymers may be associated with the particle and the intermolecular bonding groups may be associated with at least some of the polymers. In some embodiments, at least some of the intermolecular bonding groups may have a different chemical composition and/or chemical property than the polymers. In some embodiments, nanostructures may reversibly associate with each other via the intermolecular bonding groups to form a material. In some such cases, the intermolecular bonding groups on different nanostructures may reversibly associate with each other. In some embodiments, the nanostructures may be designed, such that the energy required to disassociate at least a portion of the nanostructures in the material is greater than the energy required to dissociate a single association between intermolecular bonding groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Applicant: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Robert J. Macfarlane, Jianyuan Zhang, Peter Jeffries Santos, Paul Anthony Gabrys
  • Patent number: 11118048
    Abstract: Nanostructures and associated compositions, systems, and methods are provided. In some embodiments, a nanostructure may comprise polymers, intermolecular bonding groups, and a particle. The polymers may be associated with the particle and the intermolecular bonding groups may be associated with at least some of the polymers. In some embodiments, at least some of the intermolecular bonding groups may have a different chemical composition and/or chemical property than the polymers. In some embodiments, nanostructures may reversibly associate with each other via the intermolecular bonding groups to form a material. In some such cases, the intermolecular bonding groups on different nanostructures may reversibly associate with each other. In some embodiments, the nanostructures may be designed, such that the energy required to disassociate at least a portion of the nanostructures in the material is greater than the energy required to dissociate a single association between intermolecular bonding groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Robert J. Macfarlane, Jianyuan Zhang, Peter Jeffries Santos, Paul Anthony Gabrys
  • Publication number: 20190300696
    Abstract: Nanostructures and associated compositions, systems, and methods are provided. In some embodiments, a nanostructure may comprise polymers, intermolecular bonding groups, and a particle. The polymers may be associated with the particle and the intermolecular bonding groups may be associated with at least some of the polymers. In some embodiments, at least some of the intermolecular bonding groups may have a different chemical composition and/or chemical property than the polymers. In some embodiments, nanostructures may reversibly associate with each other via the intermolecular bonding groups to form a material. In some such cases, the intermolecular bonding groups on different nanostructures may reversibly associate with each other. In some embodiments, the nanostructures may be designed, such that the energy required to disassociate at least a portion of the nanostructures in the material is greater than the energy required to dissociate a single association between intermolecular bonding groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Robert J. Macfarlane, Jianyuan Zhang, Peter Jeffries Santos, Paul Anthony Gabrys
  • Patent number: 9957383
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to brush block copolymer compositions comprising first and second homopolymers or random copolymers whose presence provides access to photonic bandgaps in the infrared frequency range, their use in this capacity, and methods of making the same. The specific parameters associated with these compositions are described within the specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Robert J. MacFarlane, Robert H. Grubbs
  • Publication number: 20160068669
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to brush block copolymer compositions comprising first and second homopolymers or random copolymers whose presence provides access to photonic bandgaps in the infrared frequency range, their use in this capacity, and methods of making the same. The specific parameters associated with these compositions are described within the specification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: ROBERT J. MACFARLANE, ROBERT H. GRUBBS