 The ion was characterized by high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance.A 2007 calculation of the enthalpies and free energies of the various hydrogen bonds around the hydronium cation in liquid protonated water at room temperature and a study of the proton hopping mechanism using molecular dynamics showed that the hydrogen-bonds around the hydronium ion (formed with the three water ligands in the first solvation shell of the hydronium) are quite strong compared to those of bulk water.A new model was proposed by Stoyanov based on infrared spectroscopy in which the proton exists as an ion.