1a:I[76865,["/_next/static/chunks/d07a36b34c614bac.js","/_next/static/chunks/a439560253821848.js","/_next/static/chunks/992d80515d7f780d.js","/_next/static/chunks/3adfb55b15c8d19c.js","/_next/static/chunks/b642b3e65e2c6231.js","/_next/static/chunks/fc50eca1ad01dc11.js","/_next/static/chunks/afc6bdd59b458409.js","/_next/static/chunks/6448cccc5d968256.js"],"Grid"] 1b:I[17291,["/_next/static/chunks/d07a36b34c614bac.js","/_next/static/chunks/a439560253821848.js","/_next/static/chunks/992d80515d7f780d.js","/_next/static/chunks/3adfb55b15c8d19c.js","/_next/static/chunks/b642b3e65e2c6231.js","/_next/static/chunks/fc50eca1ad01dc11.js","/_next/static/chunks/afc6bdd59b458409.js","/_next/static/chunks/6448cccc5d968256.js"],"GridCol"] 1c:I[34616,["/_next/static/chunks/d07a36b34c614bac.js","/_next/static/chunks/a439560253821848.js","/_next/static/chunks/992d80515d7f780d.js","/_next/static/chunks/3adfb55b15c8d19c.js","/_next/static/chunks/b642b3e65e2c6231.js","/_next/static/chunks/fc50eca1ad01dc11.js","/_next/static/chunks/afc6bdd59b458409.js","/_next/static/chunks/6448cccc5d968256.js"],"Avatar"] 1d:I[32972,["/_next/static/chunks/d07a36b34c614bac.js","/_next/static/chunks/a439560253821848.js","/_next/static/chunks/992d80515d7f780d.js","/_next/static/chunks/3adfb55b15c8d19c.js","/_next/static/chunks/b642b3e65e2c6231.js","/_next/static/chunks/fc50eca1ad01dc11.js","/_next/static/chunks/afc6bdd59b458409.js","/_next/static/chunks/6448cccc5d968256.js"],"default"] 1e:T492,Due to the fast diffusion, small molecules such as hydronium ions (H₃O⁺) are expected to be homogeneously distributed, even close to the site-of-origin. Given the importance of H₃O⁺ in numerous processes, it is surprising that H₃O⁺ concentration ([H₃O⁺]) has yet to be profiled near its generation site with nanometer resolution. Here, we innovated a single-molecule method to probe [H₃O⁺] in nanometer proximity of individual alkaline phosphatases. We designed a mechanophore with cytosine (C)-C mismatch pairs in a DNA hairpin. Binding of H₃O⁺ to these C-C pairs changes mechanical properties, such as stability and transition distance, of the mechanophore. These changes are recorded in optical tweezers and analyzed in a multivariate fashion to reduce the stochastic noise of individual mechanophores. With this method, we found [H₃O⁺] increases in the nanometer vicinity of an active alkaline phosphatase, which supports that the proximity effect is the cause for increased rates in cascade enzymatic reactions.

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