Protonic conductor: Explaining the transient "excess protons" experiment of Pohl's group 2012

Abstract

The transmembrane-electrostatically localized protons (TELP) theory can serve as a unified framework to explain experimental observations and elucidate bioenergetic systems including both delocalized and localized protonic coupling. With the TELP model as a unified framework, we can now better explain: the experimental results of Pohl's group (Zhang et al. 2012) as an effect of transient "excess protons" that can temporally form because of the difference between the fast protonic conduction in liquid water through the "hops and turns" mechanism and the relatively slow diffusion of chloride anions. This new understanding with the TELP theory agrees well with the independent analysis on the Pohl's lab group experiment results by Agmon and Gutman who also concluded that "the excess protons propagate as an advancing front".

Keywords: ATP synthesis; Excess protons; Local protonic motive force; Proton “hops and turns” mechanism; Protonic conductor; Transmembrane-electrostatically localized protons.