Formation mechanism of thermally controlled pH gradients
Cells use pH gradients to drive the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), but the physicochemical mechanisms that can produce pH gradients in non-equilibrium settings are poorly understood. The authors here theoretically and experimentally investigate the formation of a pH gradient in an acid-b...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Communications Physics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-023-01126-y |
| Summary: | Cells use pH gradients to drive the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), but the physicochemical mechanisms that can produce pH gradients in non-equilibrium settings are poorly understood. The authors here theoretically and experimentally investigate the formation of a pH gradient in an acid-base reaction system, driven by a heat flow, providing insights on how crude non-equilibrium systems can feed chemical gradients exploitable by life. |
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| ISSN: | 2399-3650 |