understanding the molecular mechanism 
 of proton conduction is crucial 
 for the design of new materials with improved conductivity . 
 quasi - elastic 
 neutron scattering ( qens ) has been used to probe the mechanism of 
 proton diffusion within a new phosphonate - based metal 
 organic 
 framework ( mof ) material , mfm-500(ni ) . 
 qens suggests that the proton 
 conductivity ( 4.5  104 s / cm at 98% relative 
 humidity and 25 c ) of mfm-500(ni ) is mediated by intrinsic  free 
 diffusion inside a sphere  , representing the first example 
 of such a mechanism observed in mofs .