Proton Transport and Related Chemical Processes of Ice

Abstract

Excess protons play a key role in the chemical reactions of ice because of their exceptional mobility, even when the diffusion of atoms and molecules is suppressed in ice at low temperatures. This article reviews the current state of knowledge on the properties of excess protons in ice, with a focus on the involvement of protons in chemical reactions. The mechanism of efficient proton transport in ice, which involves a proton-hopping relay along the hydrogen-bond ice network and the reorientation of water, is discussed and compared with the inefficient transport of hydroxide in ice. Distinctly different properties of protons residing in the ice interior and on the ice surface are emphasized. Recent observations of the spontaneous occurrence of reactions in ice at low temperatures, which include the dissociation of protic acids and the hydrolysis of acidic oxides, are discussed with regard to the kinetic and thermodynamic effects of mobile protons on the promotion of unique chemical processes of ice.