Proton conductivity of glycosaminoglycans
Fig 1
(A) Chemical structure of KS. (B) An illustration of a three-monomer segment of KS. Possible intra- and inter-molecular hydrogen bonds as well as the hydrogen bonds between the water of hydration and the polar parts of the molecule form a continuous network comprised by hydrogen-bond chains. The sulfate group interacts with the hydrogen-bond network and forms an H3O+ (hydronium) ion.