US Patent 7778301 - Quantum dot lasing in room temperature liquid solution

http://ip.com/patent/US7778301

CdS nanocrystals have been observed to have excellent lasing characteristics in the blue spectral range. However, this lasing has required low temperature operation (below 170 Kelvin). This patent from Georgia Tech. Research teaches a system implementing CdS quanum dot lasers at room temperature. Claim 1 reads: 

1. Lasing apparatus comprising:

a room temperature liquid solution comprising quantum dots that each have an average diameter between 3 and 6 nanometers, and wherein all quantum dots in the liquid solution are substantially the same size, and wherein each quantum dot is capped with a capping material that passivates and protects the surface and acts to suspend the quantum dot in the liquid solution;

reflective cavity apparatus for confining the room temperature liquid solution; and

apparatus for exciting the room temperature liquid solution to induce lasing of the quantum dots.

US Patent 7705523 - Hybrid solar nanogenerator

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7705523.html

This patent from Georgia Tech. Research teaches a power generator using both solar and mechanical (e.g. wind) sources of energy so as to generate power continuously over a range of changing environments. Claim 1 reads:

1. A hybrid solar and mechanical power generator, comprising:

a. a solar power generating portion electrically coupled to a first electrode; and

b. a piezoelectric nanowire vibrational power generating portion including:

i. an electrical contact structure electrically coupled to and extending downwardly from the first electrode and disposed adjacent to the solar power generating portion; and

ii. a plurality of piezoelectric semiconductor nanorods extending upwardly from a second electrode, spaced apart from the first electrode, so as to be directed toward the electrical contact structure and configured to release electrons across a Schottky barrier formed between the piezoelectric semiconductor nanorods and the electrical contact structure when mechanical energy is applied to the piezoelectric nanowire vibrational power generating portion.

US Patent 7327000 - Patterned thin film graphite

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7327000.html

This patent (priority 6/12/2003) includes some broad claims to a patterned thin film graphite layer on silicon which can be used in field emission display and other applications. Claim 1 reads:

1. A functional structure, comprising: a. a crystalline substrate having a preselected crystal face; and b. a thin-film graphitic layer disposed on the preselected crystal face, the thin-film graphitic layer patterned so as to define at least one functional structure.

However, some pertinent prior art may have been overlooked such as US 6,617,798 (see column 3, lines 61-67 and column 4, lines 13-20) or US 6,653,366 (see column 5, line 66 - column 6, line 15).