Patents by Inventor Simon C. Jones

Simon C. Jones 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: 12218315
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of making core-shell and yolk-shell nanoparticles, and to electrodes comprising the same. The core-shell and yolk-shell nanoparticles and electrodes comprising them are suitable for use in electrochemical cells, such as fluoride shuttle batteries. The shell may protect the metal core from oxidation, including in an electrochemical cell. In some embodiments, an electrochemically active structure includes a dimensionally changeable active material forming a particle that expands or contracts upon reaction with or release of fluoride ions. One or more particles are at least partially surrounded with a fluoride-conducting encapsulant and optionally one or more voids are formed between the active material and the encapsulant using sacrificial layers or selective etching. The fluoride-conducting encapsulant may comprise one or more metals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignees: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Nam Hawn Chou, Kaoru Omichi, Ryan McKenney, Qingmin Xu, Christopher Brooks, Simon C. Jones, Isabelle M. Darolles, Hongjin Tan
  • Patent number: 12195426
    Abstract: Described herein are compositions having an eight-membered monocyclic unsaturated hydrocarbon, methods and system to separate the eight-membered monocyclic unsaturated hydrocarbon from a hydrocarbon mixture including additional nonlinear unsaturated C8H2m hydrocarbons with 4?m?8, by contacting the hydrocarbon mixture with a 10-ring pore molecular sieve having a sieving channel with a 10-ring sieving aperture with a minimum crystallographic free diameter greater than 3 ? and a ratio of the maximum crystallographic free diameter to the minimum crystallographic free diameter between 1 and 2, the molecular sieve having a T1/T2 ratio ?20:1 wherein T1 is an element independently selected from Si and Ge, and T2 is an element independently selected from Al, B and Ga, the 10-ring pore molecular sieve further having a counterion selected from NH4+, Li+, Na+, K+ and Ca++.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Julia A. Kornfield, Mark E. Davis, Ming-Hsin Wei, Simon C. Jones
  • Patent number: 12136735
    Abstract: An electrochemically active structure having a core and a shell at least partially surrounding the core. Also a method of making the electrochemically active structure as described herein as well as electrochemical cells comprising the electrochemically active structure as described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignees: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Qingmin Xu, Christopher Brooks, Ryan McKenney, Thomas Miller, III, Simon C. Jones, Steve Munoz, Victoria Davis
  • Patent number: 11881581
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of making core-shell and yolk-shell nanoparticles, and to electrodes comprising the same. The core-shell and yolk-shell nanoparticles and electrodes comprising them are suitable for use in electrochemical cells, such as fluoride shuttle batteries. The shell may protect the metal core from oxidation, including in an electrochemical cell. In some embodiments, an electrochemically active structure includes a dimensionally changeable active material forming a particle that expands or contracts upon reaction with or release of fluoride ions. One or more particles are at least partially surrounded with a fluoride-conducting encapsulant and optionally one or more voids are formed between the active material and the encapsulant using sacrificial layers or selective etching. When the electrochemically active structures are used in secondary batteries, the presence of voids can accommodate dimensional changes of the active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignees: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Nam Hawn Chou, Kaoru Omichi, Ryan McKenney, Qingmin Xu, Christopher Brooks, Simon C. Jones, Isabelle M. Darolles, Hongjin Tan
  • Patent number: 11830983
    Abstract: Electrolyte solutions including at least one anhydrous fluoride salt and at least one non-aqueous solvent are presented. The fluoride salt includes an organic cation having a charge center (e.g., N, P, S, or O) that does not possess a carbon in the ?-position or does not possess a carbon in the ?-position having a bound hydrogen. This salt structure facilitates its ability to be made anhydrous without decomposition. Example anhydrous fluoride salts include (2,2-dimethylpropyl)trimethylammonium fluoride and bis(2,2-dimethylpropyl)dimethylammonium fluoride. Combining these fluoride salts with at least one fluorine-containing non-aqueous solvent (e.g., bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)ether; (BTFE)) promotes solubility of the salt within the non-aqueous solvents. The solvent may be a mixture of at least one non-aqueous, fluorine-containing solvent and at least one other non-aqueous, fluorine or non-fluorine containing solvent (e.g., BTFE and propionitrile or dimethoxyethane).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignees: California Institute of Technology, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Simon C. Jones, Victoria K. Davis, Christopher M. Bates, Nebojsa Momcilovic, Brett M. Savoie, Michael A. Webb, Thomas F. Miller, III, Robert H. Grubbs, Christopher Brooks, Kaoru Omichi
  • Patent number: 11749797
    Abstract: A fluoride shuttle (F-shuttle) battery and nanostructures of copper based cathode materials in the fluoride shuttle battery. The F-shuttle batteries include a liquid electrolyte, which allows the F-shuttle batteries to operate under room temperature. The minimum thickness of copper layer within the copper nanostructures is no more than 20 nm. The thickness of copper layer within the copper nanostructures is controlled and reduced to ensure the energy densities of F-shuttle batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignees: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Qingmin Xu, Christopher J. Brooks, Ryan Mckenney, Nam Hawn Chou, Kaoru Omichi, Simon C. Jones, Thomas F. Miller, III, Stephen A. Munoz
  • Patent number: 11739173
    Abstract: Crosslinked polymers and related compositions and related compositions, electrochemical cells, batteries, methods and systems are described. The crosslinked polymers have at least one redox active monomeric moiety having a redox potential of 0.5 V to 3.0 V with reference to Li/Li+ electrode potential under standard conditions or ?2.54 V to ?0.04 V vs. SHE and has a carbocyclic structure and at least one carbonyl group or a carboxyl group on the carbocyclic structure. The crosslinked polymers also include at least one comonomeric moiety with at least one of the at least one redox active monomeric moiety and/or the at least one comonomeric moiety has a denticity of three to six corresponding to a three to six connected network polymer, and provide stable, high capacity organic electrode materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: ALIONYX ENERGY SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Andrew Stewart, Zeiad Muntasser, Thay A. Ung, Simon C. Jones, Mohamed El-Kumbari, Demetrio Batac
  • Patent number: 11398645
    Abstract: Processes and reaction mixtures including non-aqueous solvent mixtures are presented. Non-aqueous solvent mixtures including fluoride salt and non-aqueous solvent combinations are provided that possess high fluoride ion concentrations useful for a range of applications, including organic synthesis. Further non-aqueous solvent mixtures are provided including a salt possessing a non-fluoride anion and a non-aqueous solvent that, when contacted with aqueous fluoride-containing reagents, extract fluoride ions to form non-aqueous fluoride-ion solutions possessing high fluoride-ion concentrations. The salts include an organic cation that does not possess a carbon in the ?-position or does not possess a carbon in the ?-position having a bound hydrogen. This salt structure facilitates its ability to be made anhydrous without decomposition. Example anhydrous fluoride salts include (2,2-dimethylpropyl)trimethylammonium fluoride and bis(2,2-dimethylpropyl)dimethylammonium fluoride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignees: California Institute of Technology, The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Simon C. Jones, Victoria K. Davis, Christopher M. Bates, Nebojsa Momcilovic, Brett M. Savoie, Michael A. Webb, Thomas F. Miller, III, Robert H. Grubbs, Jennifer M. Murphy
  • Patent number: 11251420
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of making core-shell and yolk-shell nanoparticles, and to electrodes comprising the same. The core-shell and yolk-shell nanoparticles and electrodes comprising them are suitable for use in electrochemical cells, such as fluoride shuttle batteries. The shell may protect the metal core from oxidation, including in an electrochemical cell. In some embodiments, an electrochemically active structure includes a dimensionally changeable active material forming a particle that expands or contracts upon reaction with or release of fluoride ions. One or more particles are at least partially surrounded with a fluoride-conducting encapsulant and optionally one or more voids are formed between the active material and the encapsulant using sacrificial layers or selective etching. When the electrochemically active structures are used in secondary batteries, the presence of voids can accommodate dimensional changes of the active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignees: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Nam Hawn Chou, Kaoru Omichi, Ryan McKenney, Qingmin Xu, Christopher Brooks, Simon C. Jones, Isabelle M. Darolles, Hongjin Tan
  • Publication number: 20210367274
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of making core-shell and yolk-shell nanoparticles, and to electrodes comprising the same. The core-shell and yolk-shell nanoparticles and electrodes comprising them are suitable for use in electrochemical cells, such as fluoride shuttle batteries. The shell may protect the metal core from oxidation, including in an electrochemical cell. In some embodiments, an electrochemically active structure includes a dimensionally changeable active material forming a particle that expands or contracts upon reaction with or release of fluoride ions. One or more particles are at least partially surrounded with a fluoride-conducting encapsulant and optionally one or more voids are formed between the active material and the encapsulant using sacrificial layers or selective etching. The fluoride-conducting encapsulant may comprise one or more metals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Nam Hawn Chou, Kaoru Omichi, Ryan McKenney, Qingmin Xu, Christopher Brooks, Simon C. Jones, Isabelle M. Darolles, Hongjin Tan
  • Patent number: 11177512
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of making core-shell and yolk-shell nanoparticles, and to electrodes comprising the same. The core-shell and yolk-shell nanoparticles and electrodes comprising them are suitable for use in electrochemical cells, such as fluoride shuttle batteries. The shell may protect the metal core from oxidation, including in an electrochemical cell. In some embodiments, an electrochemically active structure includes a dimensionally changeable active material forming a particle that expands or contracts upon reaction with or release of fluoride ions. One or more particles are at least partially surrounded with a fluoride-conducting encapsulant and optionally one or more voids are formed between the active material and the encapsulant using sacrificial layers or selective etching. The fluoride-conducting encapsulant may comprise one or more metals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignees: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Nam Hawn Chou, Kaoru Omichi, Ryan McKenney, Qingmin Xu, Christopher Brooks, Simon C. Jones, Isabelle M. Darolles, Hongjin Tan
  • Patent number: 11069921
    Abstract: Electrolyte solutions including at least one anhydrous fluoride salt and at least one non-aqueous solvent are presented. The fluoride salt includes an organic cation having a charge center (e.g., N, P, S, or O) that does not possess a carbon in the ?-position or does not possess a carbon in the ?-position having a bound hydrogen. This salt structure facilitates its ability to be made anhydrous without decomposition. Example anhydrous fluoride salts include (2,2-dimethylpropyl)trimethylammonium fluoride and bis(2,2-dimethylpropyl)dimethylammonium fluoride. Combining these fluoride salts with at least one fluorine-containing non-aqueous solvent (e.g., bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)ether; (BTFE)) promotes solubility of the salt within the non-aqueous solvents. The solvent may be a mixture of at least one non-aqueous, fluorine-containing solvent and at least one other non-aqueous, fluorine or non-fluorine containing solvent (e.g., BTFE and propionitrile or dimethoxyethane).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignees: California Institute of Technology, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Simon C. Jones, Victoria K. Davis, Christopher M. Bates, Nebojsa Momcilovic, Brett M. Savoie, Michael A. Webb, Thomas F. Miller, III, Robert H. Grubbs, Christopher Brooks, Kaoru Omichi
  • Patent number: 10840504
    Abstract: In an aspect, a redox flow battery comprises a catholyte and an anolyte; wherein at least one of said catholyte and said anolyte is a metal-coordination complex, said metal-coordination complex comprising: (i) a metal; (ii) one or more first ligands coordinated with said metal atom, wherein each of said first ligands is independently a Lewis basic ligand; and one or more second ligands associated with said one or more first ligands, wherein each of said second ligands is independently a Lewis acid ligand; and a nonaqueous solvent, wherein said catholyte, said anolyte or both are dissolved in said nonaqueous solvent. One or more first ligands may be provided in a primary coordination sphere of said metal-coordination complex and one or more second ligands may be provided in a secondary coordination sphere of said metal-coordination complex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Simon C. Jones, Emmanuelle Despagnet-Ayoub, Brendon McNicholas, Harry B. Gray, Robert H. Grubbs, Danh Ngo
  • Patent number: 10781150
    Abstract: Described herein are compositions having an eight-membered monocyclic unsaturated hydrocarbon, methods and system to separate the eight-membered monocyclic unsaturated hydrocarbon at from a hydrocarbon mixture including additional nonlinear unsaturated C8H2m hydrocarbons with 4?m?8, by contacting the hydrocarbon mixture with a 10-ring pore molecular sieve having a sieving channel with a 10-ring sieving aperture with a minimum crystallographic free diameter greater than 3 ? and a ratio of the maximum crystallographic free diameter to the minimum crystallographic free diameter between 1 and 2, the molecular sieve having a T1/T2 ratio?20:1 wherein T1 is an element independently selected from Si and Ge, and T2 is an element independently selected from Al, B and Ga, the 10-ring pore molecular sieve further having a counterion selected from NH4+, Li+, Na+, K+ and Ca++.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Julia A. Kornfield, Mark E. Davis, Ming-Hsin Wei, Simon C. Jones
  • Patent number: 10720666
    Abstract: Electrolyte solutions including at least one anhydrous fluoride salt and at least one non-aqueous solvent are presented. The fluoride salt includes an organic cation having a charge center (e.g., N, P, S, or O) that does not possess a carbon in the ?-position or does not possess a carbon in the ?-position having a bound hydrogen. This salt structure facilitates its ability to be made anhydrous without decomposition. Example anhydrous fluoride salts include (2,2-dimethylpropyl)trimethylammonium fluoride and bis(2,2-dimethylpropyl)dimethylammonium fluoride. Combining these fluoride salts with at least one fluorine-containing non-aqueous solvent (e.g., bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)ether; (BTFE)) promotes solubility of the salt within the non-aqueous solvents. The solvent may be a mixture of at least one non-aqueous, fluorine-containing solvent and at least one other non-aqueous, fluorine or non-fluorine containing solvent (e.g., BTFE and propionitrile or dimethoxyethane).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignees: California Institute of Technology, Honda Motor Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Simon C. Jones, Victoria K. Davis, Christopher M. Bates, Nebojsa Momcilovic, Brett M. Savoie, Michael A. Webb, Thomas F. Miller, III, Robert H. Grubbs, Christopher Brooks, Kaoru Omichi
  • Patent number: 10608280
    Abstract: Provided herein are copolymer electrolytes and electrocatalyst platforms, including brush block copolymers, triblock brush copolymers and pentablock brush copolymers. The copolymers described have beneficial chemical, physical and electrical properties including high ionic conductivity and mechanical strength. In embodiments, for example, the provided copolymer electrolytes and electrocatalyst platforms are doped with lithium salts or mixed with ionic liquids to form ion gels. In some embodiments, the copolymers provided herein self-assemble into physically cross-linked polymer networks with additional useful properties. The provided copolymers have low dispersity in the polymer side chains and do not require post-polymerization modifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Robert H. Grubbs, Christopher M. Bates, Alice Chang, Brendon McNicholas, Simon C. Jones
  • Publication number: 20190372111
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a fluoride shuttle battery and nanostructures of copper based cathode materials in the fluoride shuttle battery. The F-shuttle batteries of present disclosure comprise a liquid electrolyte, which allows the F-shuttle batteries to operate under room temperature. The minimum thickness of copper layer within the copper nanostructures is no more than 20 nm. The thickness of copper layer within the copper nanostructures is controlled and reduced to ensure the energy densities of F-shuttle batteries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Qingmin XU, Christopher J. Brooks, Ryan Mckenney, Nam Hawn Chou, Kaoru Omichi, Simon C. Jones, Thomas F. Miller, III, Stephen A. Munoz
  • Patent number: 10468722
    Abstract: Processes and reaction mixtures including non-aqueous solvent mixtures are presented. Non-aqueous solvent mixtures including fluoride salt and non-aqueous solvent combinations are provided that possess high fluoride ion concentrations useful for a range of applications, including organic synthesis. Further non-aqueous solvent mixtures are provided including a salt possessing a non-fluoride anion and a non-aqueous solvent that, when contacted with aqueous fluoride-containing reagents, extract fluoride ions to form non-aqueous fluoride-ion solutions possessing high fluoride-ion concentrations. The salts include an organic cation that does not possess a carbon in the ?-position or does not possess a carbon in the ?-position having a bound hydrogen. This salt structure facilitates its ability to be made anhydrous without decomposition. Example anhydrous fluoride salts include (2,2-dimethylpropyl)trimethylammonium fluoride and bis(2,2-dimethylpropyl)dimethylammonium fluoride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignees: California Institute of Technology, The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Simon C. Jones, Victoria K. Davis, Christopher M. Bates, Nebojsa Momcilovic, Brett M. Savoie, Michael A. Webb, Thomas F. Miller, III, Robert H. Grubbs, Jennifer M. Murphy
  • Patent number: 10427995
    Abstract: Described herein are compositions having an eight-membered monocyclic unsaturated hydrocarbon, methods and system to separate the eight-membered monocyclic unsaturated hydrocarbon at from a hydrocarbon mixture including additional nonlinear unsaturated C8H2m hydrocarbons with 4?m?8, by contacting the hydrocarbon mixture with a 10-ring pore molecular sieve having a sieving channel with a 10-ring sieving aperture with a minimum crystallographic free diameter greater than 3 ? and a ratio of the maximum crystallographic free diameter to the minimum crystallographic free diameter between 1 and 2, the molecular sieve having a T1/T2 ratio?20:1 wherein T1 is an element independently selected from Si and Ge, and T2 is an element independently selected from Al, B and Ga, the 10-ring pore molecular sieve further having a counterion selected from NH4+, Na+, K+ and Ca++.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Julia A. Kornfield, Mark E. Davis, Ming-Hsin Wei, Simon C. Jones
  • Patent number: 10153513
    Abstract: Provided herein is a class of copolymers, including triblock brush copolymers having specific block configurations, for example, ABC triblock brush copolymers and ABA triblock brush copolymers. In an embodiment, for example, copolymers of the invention incorporate various polymer side chain groups which contribute beneficial physical, chemical, or electronic properties such as increased mechanical or elastic strength, improved ionic or electric conductivity. In some embodiments, the provided copolymers exhibit advantageous steric properties allowing for rapid self-assembly into a variety of morphologies that are substantially different than non-brush, block copolymers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Robert H. Grubbs, Christopher M. Bates, Alice Chang, Brendon McNicholas, Simon C. Jones