Ions on the Move: Theory of hydroxide’s motion overturned

New computer calculations have revealed that a century-long assumption in chemistry is wrong.

At the crux of the matter is the movement of the hydroxide ion, OH^–, in water. Hydroxide ions and protons, H⁺, are important players in the acid-base chemistry vital to many important chemical processes, including photosynthesis, the pumping of protons across biological membranes, and regulation of acidity in the body.