Surface diffusion in reversed-phase liquid chromatography using silica gels bonded with C1 and C18 ligands of different densities

Surface diffusion in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) using silica gels bonded with C₁ and C₁₈ alkyl ligands of different densities was studied from the viewpoints of two extrathermodynamic relationships, i.e., enthalpy-entropy compensation (EEC) and linear free energy relationship (LFER). First, according to the four methods proposed by Krug et al., the values of surface diffusion coefficient (D_s) were analyzed to confirm that an actual EEC resulting from substantial physico-chemical effects takes place for surface diffusion. Then, it was also demonstrated that a LFER is observed between surface diffusion and the retention equilibrium. The establishment of EEC and LFER suggests a mechanistic similarity of molecular migration by surface diffusion, irrespective of the alkyl chain length and the densities of C₁ and C₁₈ ligands. Finally, a thermodynamic model for the LFER based on the real EEC was used to estimate D_s values under various RPLC conditions. The D_s values can be estimated with a mean square deviation of about 25–30%. The agreement between the D_s values estimated and those experimentally measured suggests that the total mass flux by surface diffusion consists of the two contributions due to C₁ and C₁₈ ligands and that the contribution of each ligand is proportional to the ligand density.     

Correlation between chromatographic and physicochemical properties of stationary phases in HPLC: C30 bonded reversed-phase silica

In comparison to conventional C₁₈ phases, C₃₀ phases exhibit superior shape selectivity for the separation of isomers of carotenoids and vitamins. To obtain this enhanced recognition capability the HPLC separation must be performed at a well-defined temperature. At higher temperatures the capability of differentiating between different stereochemical isomers is lost, resulting in peak coelution. This separation behaviour is primarily dependent upon the organisation of the C₃₀ alkyl chains on the silica surface which can be visualised as two domains, the more ordered domain containing relatively rigid n-alkyl groups with trans conformations and the less ordered environment containing more flexible n-alkyl groups with gauche conformations. The ratio between trans vs. gauche conformations of the n-alkyl groups directs the shape selectivity of the C₃₀ phase. The temperature-dependent interconversion of trans to gauche conformations can be monitored by temperature-dependent solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and suspended-state NMR measurements and visualised by molecular modelling calculations. Thus a direct correlation between chromatographic and physicochemical properties of C₃₀ bonded phases is possible.     

Influence of bonded-phase coverage in reversed-phase liquid chromatography via molecular simulation I. Effects on chain conformation and interfacial properties

Particle-based Monte Carlo simulations were employed to examine the effects of bonding density on molecular structure in reversed-phase liquid chromatography. Octadecylsilane stationary phases with five different bonding densities (1.6, 2.3, 2.9, 3.5, and 4.2 mumol/m(2)) in contact with a water/methanol (50/50 mol%) mobile phase were simulated at a temperature of 323 K. The simulations indicate that the alkyl chains become more aligned and form a more uniform alkyl layer as coverage is increased. However, this does not imply that the chains are highly ordered (e.g., all-trans conformation or uniform tilt angle), but rather exhibit a broad distribution of conformations and tilt angles at all bonding densities. At lower densities, significant amounts of the silica surface are exposed leading to an enhanced wetting of the stationary phase. At high densities, the solvent is nearly excluded from the bonded phase and persists only near the residual silanols. An enrichment in the methanol concentration and a disruption in the mobile phase's hydrogen bond network are observed at the interface as bonding density is increased.     

Synthesis and structure of two lanthanide complexes with isonicotinic acid N-oxide (HL): [Ln(L)2(H2O)4]n·(NO3)n·n(H2O) (Ln = Sm or Tb)

Two new lanthanide complexes of isonicotinic acid N-oxide (HL), namely [Ln(L)₂(H₂O)₄]_n·(NO₃)_n·n(H₂O) for Ln = Sm or Tb, have been synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic and crystallographic methods. IR spectra suggest that isonicotinic acid N-oxide acts as a O,O′-bidentate ligand, the N-oxide group as well as the nitrate group are not involved in coordination. Single crystal analyses have shown that both complexes are isomorphous, where the Ln(III) centers are eight coordinated by four O atoms of four water ligands and other four O atoms of two isonicotinic acid N-oxide ligands. The carboxylate groups are only involved in the bidentate syn–syn bridging mode into infinite chains. Hydrogen bonds between aqua ligands, lattice molecules, nitrate and N-oxide groups are formed giving a three-dimensional network.     

Adsorption mechanism in reversed-phase liquid chromatography. Effect of the surface coverage of a monomeric C18-silica stationary phase

The effect of the bonding density of the octadecyl chains onto the same silica on the adsorption and retention properties of low molecular weight compounds (phenol, caffeine, and sodium 2-naphthalene sulfonate) was investigated. The same mobile phase (methanol:water, 20:80, v/v) and temperature (T = 298 K) were applied and two duplicate columns (A and B) from each batch of packing material (neat silica, simply endcapped or C1 phase, 0.42, 1.01, 2.03, and 3.15 micromol/m2 of C18 alkyl chains) were tested. Adsorption data of the three compounds were acquired by frontal analysis (FA) and the adsorption energy distributions (AEDs) were calculated using the expectation-maximization method. Results confirmed earlier findings in linear chromatography of a retention maximum at an intermediate bonding density. From a general point of view, the saturation capacity of the adsorbent tends to decrease with increasing bonding density, due to the vanishing space intercalated between the C18 bonded chains and to the decrease of the specific surface area of the stationary phase. The equilibrium constants are maximum for an intermediary bonding density (approximately 2 micromol/m2). An enthalpy-entropy compensation was found for the thermodynamic parameters of the isotherm data. Weak equilibrium constants (small deltaH) and high saturation capacities (large deltaS) were observed at low bonding densities, higher equilibrium constants and lower saturation capacities at high bonding densities, the combinations leading to similar apparent retention in RPLC. The use of a low surface coverage column is recommended for preparative purposes.     

丁香酚键合硅胶液相色谱固定相的制备和色谱性能

采用固液相表面连续反应法,先将偶联剂γ-[(2,3)-环氧丙氧]丙基三甲氧基硅烷(KH-560)键合到球形硅胶表面,然后再将植物有效成分丁香酚与硅胶上的KH-560活性基团反应,合成了丁香酚键合硅胶液相色谱固定相(EGSP)。采用元素分析、热重分析和红外光谱对该固定相的结构进行了表征。以萘作为溶质探针,乙腈-水(35:65, v/v)为流动相,流速为0.8 mL/min,测得EGSP柱的柱效。以一系列的中性、碱性和酸性化合物为溶质探针,C₁₈柱和苯基柱作参比,对该固定相的色谱性能及保留机理进行了研究。结果表明,硅胶表面成功键合上了丁香酚配体,键合量为0.28 mmol/g, EGSP柱理论塔板数约为24707 N/m。该固定相不仅具有良好的反相色谱性能,同时由于配体结构中含有芳环、烯基和甲氧基,还能与溶质发生π-π电荷转移、偶极-偶极和氢键作用。与传统的反相C₁₈柱和苯基柱相比,EGSP在极性芳香族化合物的快速、简便分离中占优势。     

High-performance liquid chromatography of amino acids, peptides and proteins. CIX. Investigations on the relation between the ligand density of cibacron blue immobilized porous and non-porous sorbents and protein-binding capacities and association constants.

A porous silica of nominal 5 microns particle diameter and 30 nm pore size (Nucleosil 300-5) and a non-porous silica of nominal 1.5 microns particle diameter were activated with 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane (MPTS), followed by the immobilization of the triazine dye, Cibacron Blue F3GA. Various biomimetic dye sorbents with graduated ligand densities between 1 mumol/m2 and 0.01 mumol/m2 were prepared. The capacities and the association constants associated with the binding of lysozyme to these sorbents were determined by frontal analysis experiments [J. Chromatogr., 476 (1989) 205-225]. Due to the ability of the Cibacron Blue F3GA-modified silicas to act as mixed mode coulombic and hydrophobic interaction sorbents and the highly charged nature of the surface structure of lysozyme (pl 11), two mobile phase conditions were examined. In one case a 0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.8, was used as the equilibration and loading buffer, in the second case 1 M sodium chloride-0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.8 was employed as the equilibration and loading buffer to monitor the influence of ionic interactions. The elution was performed in each case with a 2.5 M potassium thiocyanate solution. With the porous silica dye sorbents and 1 M NaCl present in the loading buffer, the highest capacity was achieved when Cibacron Blue F3GA was immobilised to the level of 0.1 mumol/m2. In the case of the non-porous silica dye sorbents, the maximum protein capacity was achieved when 0.5 mumol/m2 dye were immobilised onto the support. Evaluation of the frontal breakthrough curves confirmed that the kinetics of adsorption of lysozyme onto the non-porous sorbent were substantially faster than the adsorption of lysozyme onto the porous sorbent due to the absence of pore diffusion effects in case of the non-porous support. Furthermore, the adsorption of lysozyme on both sorbents was faster when no salt was added to the loading buffer, indicating that there is either conformational or reorientation effects operating during the specific binding of the protein to the dye ligand, or that the interaction is proceeding through the participation of a second class of binding sites. The magnitude of the association constants, Ka, for the lysozyme-Cibacron Blue F3GA systems were found to be dependent on the ligand density of the sorbent. With decreasing ligand density, the protein-ligand interaction became stronger, e.g. Ka values became larger. These results confirm earlier observations on the effect of ligand steric compression on the affinate-ligand association constant, e.g. the protein needs sufficient space to interact with the ligand in an optimum way.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

大黄素键合硅胶高效液相色谱柱的制备和应用

采用中间体法,先将大黄素配体与γ-[（2,3）-环氧丙氧]丙基三甲氧基硅烷（KH-560）偶联剂反应制备含配体的硅氧烷试剂,然后再与硅胶键合,最终制得大黄素键合硅胶液相色谱固定相（以下简称ESP）。通过红外光谱、元素分析和热重分析表征固定相的结构。以萘作为溶质探针,甲醇-水（60：40,v/v）为流动相,流速为0.8 mL/min,测得ESP柱的柱效。采用传统的反相C₁₈和苯基柱作参比,将ESP应用于系列中性、碱性和酸性芳香族化合物以及实际样品风油精的分离分析,并探讨相关的色谱分离机理。结果表明,配体大黄素被成功地键合到球形硅胶表面,测得配体键合量为0.23 mmol/g,ESP柱理论塔板数约为19874 N/m。ESP的偶联剂链和蒽醌环提供了疏水性的结构基础,大黄素配体还能为溶质提供π-π或p-π、电荷转移、氢键、偶极-偶极等作用点。多位点的协同作用使得ESP柱具有独特和优秀的色谱分离选择性,并且无需调节pH值,采用简单而廉价的甲醇-水流动相就能实现胺类、酚类等极性样品的基线分离,实验条件简单、方便。     

Cholesterol-based dimeric liquid crystals: synthesis and mesomorphic behaviour

Chiral non-symmetric dimeric liquid crystals consisting of a cholesteryl ester moiety as chiral entity and a biphenyl aromatic core, interconnected through n-butyl (C₄) or n-pentyl (C₅) parity alkylene spacers, have been synthesized and investigated for their liquid crystalline properties. All the dimers exhibit enantiotropic mesophases. The first member of the dimers having the C₄ central spacer exhibit only the chiral nematic (N*) mesophase, while the higher homologues also show smectic A (SmA) and twist grain boundary (TGB) mesophases. The dimers of the other series containing the C₅ central spacer also have stable SmA, TGB and N* mesophases, except for the first which does not show the TGB phase. Both series of compounds show a weak odd-even effect with terminal alkyl chain substitution, while the spacer length has a marked influence on the phase transition temperatures.     

High-performance liquid chromatography of the coordination isomers of triphenylphosphine-substituted homo- and hetero-bimetallic carbonyl complexes of manganese and rhenium

The isocratic normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of a series of triphenylphosphine (PPh₃)-substituted homo- and hetero-dinuclear metal carbonyl complexes [MM′ (CO)_10−n(PPh₃)_n, where M,M′ = Mn, Re; N = 1,2] is reported. A column packed with silica bonded with phenyl groups was used after preliminary experiments showed that columns packed with conventional silica, and with silica bonded with amion-cyano groups were unsatisfactory for separation. The mobile phases used were hexane-toluene (8:2) and hexane-dichloromethane (90:10). The results suggest that besides the symmetry-imposed polarity of the complexes, the nature of the metal and substituent ligand also determine their retention characteristics.     

Molecular-dynamics simulation for the characterization of liquid chromatographic stationary phase: effect of temperature.

The influence of temperature on the surface structure of the octadecylsilica (ODS) bonded phase was investigated with a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The MD simulation was applied to a molecular model consisting of three parts: amorphous silica base, dimethyloctadecylsilyl ligands and n-hexane as a mobile phase solvent. More detailed information on the effect of temperature was obtained at the low temperature region than that reported in our previous study. The motion of ODS ligands could be estimated by the mean square displacement (MSD) of the terminal carbon atoms of ODS ligands. The gauche fraction in the ODS ligand conformation can also be estimated to obtain the ligand conformation for each simulation condition in detail. It can be seen that an elevated temperature induced the more bent ligand conformation. The trend has a good agreement to that of the results experimentally observed by using various spectroscopic techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Raman spectroscopy.     

Synthesis and study of 4-(4'-n-alkoxybenzoyloxybenzoyl)-4'-n-butoxyanilides

Thirteen compounds with ester and amide linkages were synthesized and their mesogenic properties evaluated. Methyl to n-propyl derivatives exhibit nematic phases, n-butyl to n-decyl derivatives exhibit smectic and nematic mesophases, whereas n-dodecyl to n-octadecyl derivatives exhibit only smectic phases. All the smectic homologues exhibit smectic C phases. Middle members of the homologous series exhibit polymorphism of smectic mesophase. A plot of transition temperatures versus number of carbon atoms in the alkoxy chain reveals an odd-even effect for nematic-isotropic transition temperatures. Nematic-isotropic and smectic-cholesteric thermal stabilities of the prepared compounds (series I) are higher compared to those of previously reported compounds, series A, B and C. The results indicate that a simple reversal of a central linkage has a dramatic effect on the appearance of smectic mesophase in a homologous series. The structures of the synthesized compounds were characterized using elemental analysis, thin-layer chromatography and spectral data.     

Drug Encapsulation and Release by Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles: The Effect of Surface Functional Groups

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) have been widely used as drug carriers for stimuli‐responsive drug delivery. Herein, a catalysis screening technique was adopted for analyzing the effects of chain length, terminal group, and density of disulfide‐appended functional ligands on the surface of MSNPs on drug‐loading capacity and glutathione‐triggered drug‐release kinetics. The ligand with an intermediate length (5 carbon atoms) and a bulky terminal group (cyclohexyl) that complexes with theβ‐cyclodextrin ring showed the highest drug loading capacity as well as good release kinetics. In addition, decreasing the surface coverage of the functional ligands led to an enhancement in drug release. In vitro drug‐delivery experiments on a melanoma cell line (B16‐F10) by using the functionalized MSNPs further supported the conclusion. The results obtained may serve as a general guide for developing more effective MSNP systems for drug delivery.     

Intermolecular interactions in liquid adsorption chromatography

Summary For the investigation of intermolecular interactions in adsorption from solution, which are the basis of selectivity in molecular liquid chromatography (LC), it is convenient to use the LC method itself. Using this method the Henry's constants, K₁, and other thermodynamic adsorption characteristics of hydrocarbons and of a series of polar substances on hydroxylated silica surface were determined from aqueous solutions. On the basis of the adsorption of hydrocarbons from water solutions the structure of the chemically modifying layers formed by different hydrocarbon groups on the silica surface is considered. The role of conformation ability of straight-chain bonded phases is demonstrated. Hydrocarbons are adsorbed on the hydroxylated silica surface more strongly from aqueous solutions than from solutions in saturated hydrocarbons and their retention increases with the increase in the number of carbon atoms in the molecule. The retention in LC is determined by the intermolecular interaction of the solute and solvent molecules with the adsorbent, as well by the contribution of the intermolecular interaction, between the solute and the solvent.The thermodynamic characteristics of adsorption of cymarin from water-ethanol solutions on hydroxylated silica gel and on silica gel surface modified by diphenylsilyl groups is compared. The solubility of silica gel modified by diphenylsilyl groups at different composition of water-ethanol eluent at different temperatures is investigated.Enlarged text of a paper presented at the Sixteenth International Symposium on Advances in Chromatography, Barcelona, Spain, September 28–October 1, 1981.     

Binding behaviour and conformational properties of globular proteins in the presence of immobilised non-polar ligands used in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

The thermodynamic and extra-thermodynamic dependencies of five types of cytochrome c in water-acetonitrile mixtures of different composition in the presence of immobilised n-octyl ligands as a function of temperature from 278 K to 338 K have been investigated. The corresponding enthalpic, entropic and heat capacity parameters, deltaHdegrees assoc, deltaS degrees assoc and delta C degrees p, have been evaluated from the observed non-linear Van't Hoff plots of these globular proteins in these heterogeneous systems. The relationships between the free energy dependencies, various molecular parameters and extra-thermodynamic dependencies (empirical correlations) of these protein-non-polar ligand interactions have also been examined. Thus, the involvement of enthalpy-entropy compensation effects has been documented for the binding of these cytochrome cs to solvated n-octyl ligands. Moreover, the results confirm that this experimental approach permits changes in molecular surface area due to the unfolding of these proteins on association with non-polar ligands as a function of temperature to be correlated with other biophysical properties. This study thus provides a general procedure whereby the corresponding free energy dependencies of globular proteins on association with solvated non-polar ligands in heterogeneous two-phase systems can be quantitatively evaluated in terms of fundamental molecular parameters.     

Biosensor for phenol based on the direct electron transfer blocking of peroxidase immobilising on silica–titanium

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was immobilised on silica gel modified with titanium oxide. This material was employed to prepare modified carbon paste electrode. The direct electron transfer of the hydrogen peroxide reduction by HRP was blocked when immobilised on silica–titanium. This biosensor presented a very sensitive response for phenol (1 μmol l⁻¹) at an applied potential of 0 mV vs SCE. The best condition was achieved in phosphate buffer pH 6.8, ratio of hydrogen peroxide/phenol higher than 0.35. The biosensor showed a linear response range between 10 and 50 μmol l⁻¹ of phenol, adjusted by the equation j=−32.8+16.3 [phenol], for n=5 with a correlation coefficient of 0.9995. The response time of the biosensor was about 3 s.     

The liquid crystalline behaviour of ferrocene derivatives containing azo and imine linking groups

The synthesis and mesogenic properties of some Schiff bases containing ferrocene, azobenzene units and flexible end chains with 17 or 18 carbon atoms are reported. The compounds have been characterized by ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy, DSC and optical microscopy in polarized light.     

Two-photon chemistry in the laser jet: generation of radical intermidiates and their photochemical transformations

The novel laser jet technique provides sufficiently high photon densities to permit the observation of the photochemistry of photochemically generated radicals (two-photon chemistry) in the liquid phase. Four recent applications of this novel photochemically useful method are presented: these include the photochemistry of hydroxydiphenylmethyl, 9-hydroxyxanthenyl, diphenylmethyl, and benzoyl radicals under laser jet and normal photolysis conditions.

The regioselectivity of cross-coupling reactions of hydroxydiphenylmethyl or 9-hydroxyxanthenyl radicals with solvent-derived radicals changes when these species are electronically excited,i.e. under the high intensity conditions of the laser jet, cross-coupling at the para position (head-to-tail combination) is significantly enhanced relative to the normal coupling mode at the hydroxy-bearing radical site (head-to-head combination). Semiempirical calculations of the spin density distributions for the ground and first excited states of the radicals confirm the change in spin density from the hydroxy-bearing carbon atom to the conjugating benzene rings in these radical species on photoexcitation.

For the diphenylmethyl radical, two reaction pathways have been observed under the high photon densities of the laser jet: the electronically excited diphenylmethyl radical can either abstract a chlorine atom from carbon tetrachloride through an electron transfer process or can be photoionized on further photoexcitation (multiphoton chemistry). The resulting benzhydryl cation was trapped by methanol as the corresponding ether product, which unequivocally demonstrates that carbene formation by photoejection of a hydrogen atom does not take place under laser jet photolysis conditions.

An advantage of the high photon densities produced in laser jet photolysis is the high steady state concentration of short-lived transients that are generated, which enable unprecedented intermolecular reactions to be observed. Thus, about a millimolar concentration of tert-butoxy radicals can be obtained in the laser jet photocleavage of tert-butyl peroxide. When the tert-butoxy radicals are produced in the presence of benzaldehyde, the main product is tert-butyl benzoate. If carbon tetrachloride is also present, chlorobenzene can be detected. This is rationalized as the product derived from chlorine abstraction by phenyl radicals, which are presumably produced by the photodecarbonylation of benzoyl radicals.

An alternative method of obtaining benzoyl radicals is the two-photon cleavage of benzil. The laser jet photolysis of benzil in tert-butyl peroxide yields mainly tert-butyl benzoate, whereas in carbon tetrachloride, benzoyl chloride, chlorobenzene and ,,-trichloroacetophenone are observed. The first two products result from chlorine atom abstraction by the photochemically generated benzoyl and phenyl radicals, and the last product from in-cage cross-coupling between benzoyl and trichloromethyl radicals.

Such product studies provide detailed mechanistic information on the photochemical behaviour of electronically excited, short-lived transients which complements nicely the kinetic and spectral data of time-resolved laser flash studies. Consequently, the laser jet technique constitutes a valuable tool for determining the mechanism of two- photon reactions.     

Heterocyclic benzoxazole-based liquid crystals

The synthesis, characterization, and mesomorphic properties of a new type of heteronuclear compounds 1a-c and a Pd complex 1d derived from benzoxazole as the core group are reported. These compounds were prepared by the ring closure reaction of 4-alkoxybenzoic acid 4-[(4-alkoxy-2-hydroxyphenylimino)methyl]phenyl esters 6 in the presence of lead(IV) acetate. All the compounds were characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies and elemental analysis. The phase behaviour of these mesogenic compounds was characterized and studied by differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy. All the compounds 1a exhibited nematic (N) and/or smectic C (SmC) phases, as expected for rod-like molecules; however, the compounds 1b and 1c exhibited crystal phases. For those compounds 1a having shorter carbon chains (n = 1, 3, 4) nematic phases were observed, whereas for compounds having longer carbon chains (n = 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14) smectic C behaviour was also observed at lower temperatures. The greater aspect ratio (l/d) of compounds 1a compared with 1b and 1c was found to be required for the observation of liquid crystallinity. The fluorescent properties of these compounds were also examined. All λ_max peaks of the absorption and photoluminescence spectra of compounds 1a-1c occurred at c. 316-322 nm and 371-382 nm, respectively. The quantum yields of some compounds were relatively low, and also slightly solvent-dependent.     

Mesogenic Unsymmetric dimers containing cholesteryl ester and tolane moieties

Among unsymmetric oligomesogens, chiral dimers formed by connecting a cholesteryl ester fragment with various aromatic mesogenic cores through a polymethylene spacer have been attracting much attention due to their remarkable thermal behaviour. In particular, dimers containing a diphenylacetylene segment having an alkoxy chain have shown interesting mesomorphic behaviour. In view of this a new series of unsymmetric dimers consisting of a diphenylacetylene moiety having an alkyl chain and a cholesteryl ester unit joined through a paraffinic spacer have been synthesized and their liquid crystalline properties characterized. The lengths of the central methylene spacer (C₃, C₄, C₅ and C₇) as well as that of the alkyl chain (n-butyl, n-pentyl, n-hexyl and n-heptyl) have been varied to establish structure-property relationships. These investigations have revealed that all the dimers exhibit smectic A, twist grain boundary and chiral neamtic (N*) phases with the exception of one of the dimers for which only the N* phase was observed. Some differences in the mesomorphic properties of the unsymmetric dimers containing odd or even parity methylene spacers have been observed. The majority of dimers having an even (C₄) parity paraffinic spacer show a blue phase while the dimers with odd (C₃, C₅ and C₇) parity spacers exhibit the chiral smectic (SmC*) phase. In some cases, the SmC* phase exists well below (-60°C) and above room temperature.