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Abstract: Phosvitin was successfully purified from egg yolks by an NaCl extraction method. When 1.0% of purified phosvitin was incubated with 0.1% of Ca under ileum conditions (pH 7.0, 37 °C), 44.1% of added Ca remained soluble in the supernatant, whereas less than 15% of added Ca was found soluble in the supernatant of the control group with no phosvitin added. Purified phosvitin was subjected to tryptic hydrolysis and examined for its efficiency in enhancing Ca absorption and accumulation in bones of SD rats. The rates of intestinal Ca absorption and its accumulation in bones were significantly higher in the groups in which phosvitin peptides were added in diets, with concentrations of 0.125–0.5%, which were equivalent amounts of 25–100% of the Ca in the diets. Although no significant differences in weights or ash contents of bones were observed, higher values of Ca to ash ratios, as well as bone mineral density and bone mineral content in femurs and tibias of the phosvitin peptides groups, suggested that phosvitin peptides improved bioavailability of Ca and thus increased incorporation of Ca into bones. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Among the various molybdenum oxide (MoO x) films, molybdenum dioxide (MoO 2) has gained significant attention as a promising electrode material for metal-insulator capacitors owing to its exceptional crystalline properties and high work function (WF). However, achieving precise atomic layer deposition of MoO 2 films requires careful selection of molybdenum (Mo) precursors and oxidants, given the metastable nature of MoO 2. Furthermore, film properties can vary depending on the oxidation potential of the reactant. In this study, we successfully deposited MoO 2 films by utilizing Mo (NMe 2) 4 as the Mo source, which reacted with an O source (oxygen gas or ozone). MoO x (O 2) and MoO x (O 3) films exhibited significantly different growth rates, measuring approximately 0.23 and 1.36 Å/cycle, respectively. Additionally, MoO x (O 2) and MoO x (O 3) exhibited high WFs of 4.81 and 5.12 eV, respectively. Finally, hydrogen (H 2) annealing induced a monoclinic phase in MoO 2. By contrast, MoO x (O 3) exhibited an orthorhombic structure after both H 2 and O 2 annealing, suggesting that the crystal structure was independent of the annealing atmosphere. These findings highlight the possibility that when a MoO 2 layer that is well crystallized through H 2 treatment is applied as an electrode for dynamic random-access memory(DRAM) capacitors, high-k crystal-inducing effects can be functionalized, and the leakage current can be reduced through the Schottky emission barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermoelectric (TE) performance of a specific semicrystalline polymer is studied experimentally only in a limited range of doping levels with molecular doping methods. The doping level is finely controlled via in situ electrochemical doping in a wide range of carrier concentrations with an electrolyte ([PMIM]+[TFSI]−)‐gated organic electrochemical transistor system. Then, the charge generation/transport and TE properties of four p‐type semicrystalline polymers are analyzed and their dynamic changes of crystalline morphologies and local density of states (DOS) during electrochemical doping are compared. These polymers are synthesized based on poly[(2,5‐bis(2‐alkyloxy)phenylene)‐alt‐(5,6‐difluoro‐4,7‐di(thiophene‐2‐yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole)] by varying side chains: With oligoethylene glycol (OEG) substituents, facile p‐doping is achieved because of easy penetration of TFSI− ions into the polymer matrix. However, the charge transport is hindered with longer OEG chains length because of the enhanced insulation. Therefore, with the shortest OEG substituents the electrical conductivity (30.1 S cm−1) and power factor (2.88 µW m−1 K−2) are optimized. It is observed that all polymers exhibit p‐ to n‐type transition in Seebeck coefficients in heavily doped states, which can be achieved by electrochemical doping. These TE behaviors are interpreted based on the relation between the localized DOS band structure and molecular packing structure during electrochemical doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents magazine cover of the material science periodical.

DRAM capacitors are reaching the scaling limit and new approaches are necessary to enable further reduction of the physical thickness of the capacitor dielectric. The conduction band offset (CBO) of a platinum noble metal electrode on atomic layer deposited ZrO 2 /Al 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 is evaluated and compared to a titanium nitride electrode. Internal Photo Emission Spectroscopy and Photoconductivity measurement are used to estimate the barrier height and band gap, respectively. The barrier height difference between the two electrodes is evaluated in comparison with a previously reported model. Finally, the impact of an increased barrier height on dielectric scaling will be discussed based on a leakage current simulation of a ZrO 2 capacitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]