title: Suppression of proton mobility by hydrophobic hydration.
abstract: Fluorescence microscopy and conductivity measurements reveal a remarkably strong effect of hydrophobic groups on the mobility of protons in water. The addition of 5 M of tetramethylurea (4 methyl groups per molecule) results in a reduction of the proton mobility by a factor of approximately 10: hydrophobic hydration strongly suppresses proton mobility. These observations demonstrate the collective nature of aqueous proton transport.
authors.affiliation: FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics, Science Park 113, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.bonn@amolf.nl
authors.forename: Mischa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonn
authors.forename: Huib J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bakker
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rago
authors.forename: Frederick
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pouzy
authors.forename: Joanna R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Siekierzycka
authors.forename: Albert M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Brouwer
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bonn
mesh_terms: D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D011522:Protons; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011522:Protons; D014867:Water