Aculon, Inc., a nanotechnology enabled performance coatings company, announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has allowed a patent covering its method for applying transition metal alkoxide films to substrates.

United States Patent Application No. 7,989,069 discloses an organometallic coating deposited from a metal alkoxide composition under conditions sufficient to form a polymeric metal oxide coating with unreacted alkoxide and hydroxyl groups. The invention also discloses a method for applying the organometallic coating to a substrate.

“One of the key focuses for our technology is to increase hydrophobicity and oleophobicity on surfaces and the use of organometallic coatings deposited from a metal alkoxide composition to achieve this is a very interesting application of our technology,” said Edward Hughes, CEO of Aculon. “We believe that this technology fills a significant gap where alternative hydrophobic and oleophobic treatments have failed to treat certain difficult to treat substrates.”

Aculon, Inc. commercializes unique surface and interfacial coatings leveraging nanotechnology discoveries made at Princeton University. The Princeton intellectual property includes two issued patents and seven pending applications, with Aculon as the exclusive worldwide licensee for non-biological applications. Aculon has strengthened its IP position with 15 new inventions beyond the original Princeton discoveries. In total, Aculon owns and licensees a portfolio of 25 exclusive, global patents.