Description
The terms hydrogen ion H+ and proton p are used synonymously in chemistry. A hydrogen ion is a negatively charged molecule. In particle physics, however, a proton is a submolecular and subatomic particle with a positive electric charge. The H+ ion has no electrons and is a bare charge with only about 1/64 000 of the radius of a hydrogen atom, and so is extremely reactive chemically with an extremely short lifetime in aqueous solutions, where it forms the hydronium ion H3O+, which in turn is further solvated by water molecules in clusters such as H5O2+ and H9O4+. The transfer of H+ in an acid–base reaction is referred to as proton transfer. The acid is the H+ donor and the base is the H+ acceptor.
Abbreviation: H+
Reference: Headrick JM, Diken EG, Walters RS, Hammer NI, Christie RA, Cui J, Myshakin EM, Duncan MA, Johnson MA, Jordan KD (2005) Spectral signatures of hydrated proton vibrations in water clusters. Science 308:1765–69.
Communicated by Gnaiger Erich 2020-12-02
Perspectives and questions for bioenergetic adventurers
- Protons p+ or p in physics are nuclear subatomic particles. They are elementary particles, are visible, and are composed of invisible quarks.
- Protons occur in all atoms.
- Protons are stable in the hydrogen atoms of water molecules.
- Free hydrogen ions H+ hardly exist in water. They are immediately hydrated to hydronium ions and higher degrees of hydration.
- It is convenient to summarize all these hydrated forms as H+. Perhaps the term 'hydrogenion' could be used for this meaning of H+, in contrast to hydrogen ion and proton (hydrion® and phydrion® are registered trademarks).
- The term proton is used in chemistry ambiguously for p and H+.
- This is more than confusing.
- Does the protonmotive force relate to protons or H+, or to both, or is there no difference?
- Do the proton pumps of the electron transfer system pump protons or hydrogen ions or hydronium ions?
- Do the proton pumps of the electron transfer system discriminate between protons electrically neutralized by electrons in a molecule and protons that are not electrically neutralized in a molecule?
- Do the proton pumps of the electron transfer system discriminate between protons in different molecules?
- What is the relative importance of protons and electrons in the mitochondrial electron transfer system?
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