Proton

high-resolution terminology - matching measurements at high-resolution

Proton

Description

Proton and hydrogen ion, H+, are terms used synonymously in chemistry. A proton or hydrogen ion has no electrons and corresponds to a bare nucleus. The proton is a bare charge with only about 1/64,000 of the radius of a hydrogen atom, and so is extremely reactive chemically. The free proton has 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 proton donor and the base is the proton acceptor.

In particle physics, a proton is a subatomic particle with a positive electric charge. Protons and neutrons are collectively referred to as nucleons.

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.