The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 10, 2021
Filed:
Feb. 26, 2018
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (US);
Yunxi Yao, Pasadena, CA (US);
Konstantinos P. Giapis, Pasadena, CA (US);
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (US);
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for facilitating an intramolecular reaction that occurs in single collisions of COmolecules (or their derivatives amenable to controllable acceleration, such as COions) with a solid surface, such that molecular oxygen (or its relevant analogs, e.g., Oand Oions) is directly produced are provided. The reaction is driven by kinetic energy and is independent of surface composition and temperature. The methods and apparatus may be used to remove COfrom Earth's atmosphere, while, in other embodiments, the methods and apparatus may be used to prevent the atmosphere's contamination with COemissions. In yet other embodiments, the methods and apparatus may be used to obtain molecular oxygen in CO-rich environments, such as to facilitate exploration of extraterrestrial bodies with CO-rich atmospheres (e.g. Mars).