US Patent 7811542 - Multiwall carbon nanotube rope

http://ip.com/patent/US7811542

This latest patent from Unidym includes some basic claims to using aggregates of multiwall carbon nanotubes to form high strength, electrically conductive "ropes". Claim 1 reads:

1. A carbon nanotube rope comprising a carbon nanotube with at least three walls, wherein the rope has a cross-sectional dimension of less than about 10 nm.

US Patent 7785557 - Transparent and electrically conductive graphene film

http://ip.com/patent/US7785557

Unidym is at the forefront of research and commercial development of carbon nanomaterials building upon the basic research conducted by Richard Smalley of Rice University. This latest patent encompasses transparent and electrically conductive graphene thin film material useful to constructing display and printable electronic technology. Claim 1 reads: 

1. A method of producing a film, comprising:

applying a dispersion comprising graphene flakes and a solvent to a surface of a substrate; and

removing the solvent from the dispersion such that the graphene flakes form an interconnected network;

wherein the graphene flakes are functionalized;

wherein the interconnected network has an optical transparency of at least 50%, and wherein the interconnected network is electrically conductive.

US Patent 7655302 - Power transmission with nanotube fiber

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7655302.html

In the 1990's a series of basic discoveries regarding carbon nanotubes were made by Richard Smalley's group at William Marsh Rice University. Patents based on this basic research are still being issued to Rice and are being commercialized by Unidym. This latest patent has priority going back to 1997 and is fundamental to power cabling systems based on carbon nanotube fibers. Claim 9 reads:

9. A high voltage power transmission cable

wherein at least one conductor comprises a continuous carbon fiber,

wherein the continuous carbon fiber comprises at least about 106 fullerene nanotubes bundled together in generally parallel orientation.

US Patent 7459137 - Solvent-free CNT functionalization

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7459137.html

Due to molecular forces carbon nanotubes often bundle together making it necessary to include a solvent when functionalizing the nanoubes for applications such as biosensors. However, the requirement for solvent places a constraint on the type of environments and chemical reactions permitted for the functionalization. This patent from Rice University teaches methods of solvent-free functionalization of carbon nanotubes to expand the range of situations in which functionalization can occur. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for functionalizing carbon nanotubes comprising:

a) selecting a plurality of carbon nanotubes; and

b) reacting said plurality of carbon nanotubes at the sidewall carbon atoms with an organic functionalizing agent in the absence of a solvent.

US Patent 7449133 - Transparent graphene

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7449133.html

There has been some development by companies such as Eikos and Unidym in using carbon nanotubes in new transparent electrodes. This patent from Unidym moves in a slightly different direction using the related carbon material graphene which may offer even superior transparency properties. Claim 1 reads:

1. A film comprising at least one interconnected network of functionalized graphene flakes and a polymer in electrical contact with the interconnected network of functionalized graphene flakes, wherein the film is optically transparent and electrically conductive, and wherein the film has an optical transparency of at least 80% for 550 nm light.

US Patents 7419624 + 7419651 - Fullerene nanotubes

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7419624.html
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7419651.html

Many of the basic fabrication methods for single walled nanotube production have come from research out of Rice University. While most of Rice's patents have previously focused on the single walled carbon nanotube type, a recent set of issued patents based on continuations (with priority going back to the 1990's) have extended the patent coverage to "fullerene nanotubes" which may include double or multiwall nanotubes types that are being explored as field emitters and transparent electrodes in electronics and display applications.

US Patent 7419624 - Claims 1 and 3

1. A method of producing a composite material comprising fullerene nanotube material, wherein said fullerene nanotube material comprises fibers of fullerene nanotubes, and wherein said method comprises:
(a) preparing an assembly of a fibrous material;
(b) adding said fullerene nanotube material to said fibrous material; and
(c) adding a matrix material to said fullerene nanotube material and said fibrous material.

3. A composite material comprising fullerene nanotubes, a fibrous structural constituent and a matrix material, wherein the matrix material comprises a polymer and the fibrous structural constituent comprises carbon, and wherein the fullerene nanotubes comprise fullerene nanotube fibers.

(US Patent 7419651) Claims 1 and 13

1. A three-dimensional structure that self-assembles from derivatized fullerene nanotubes comprising: a plurality of multifunctional fullerene nanotubes assembled into said three-dimensional structure.

13. A structure formed by the process comprising:
(a) providing fullerene nanotubes derivatized with at least one functionally-specific agent;
(b) exposing the derivatized nanotubes to another moiety for which the functionally-specific agent has an attraction; and
(c) recovering assemblies formed by the derivatized nanotubes.

US Patent 7357906 - Single walled CNT separation

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7357906.html

This patent originating from research by Richard Smalley's group at Rice University has priority going back to Aug. 8, 1996 and seems fairly basic to single walled carbon nanotube separation by type. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method comprising: a) providing a mixture of single-wall carbon nanotubes; b) derivatizing the single-wall carbon nanotubes; c) dispersing the single-wall carbon nanotubes; and d) fractionating the mixture by a characteristic selected from the group consisting of lengths, diameters, helicities and combinations thereof.