Influence of Pore Diameter on Water Transport Through Subnanometer-sized Artificial Channels

Abstract

Water transport under subnanometer confinement exhibits transport behaviors that differ fundamentally from those in larger nanopores, yet how pore diameter governs water permeation remains poorly understood. Here, we report a series of pillar[n]arene-based artificial water channels with systematically varied pore diameters while preserving an otherwise identical channel framework. Unexpectedly, water permeability decreases monotonically with increasing pore diameter, revealing an inverse size dependence under subnanometer confinement. Combined ion-selective transport measurements, ion-water competition experiments, and molecular dynamics simulations reveal that this inverse dependence originates from a pore-diameter-controlled transport regime transition. Rather than directly enhancing water permeation through geometric enlargement, increasing pore diameter lowers the energetic barrier for chloride permeation, thereby activating ion-water competition that suppresses water transport. These findings establish a quantitative structure-transport relationship, in which pore diameter regulates water transport by controlling the onset of chloride permeation, providing mechanistic insights into pore-diameter-dependent transport within this homologous channel series and informing the rational design of high-performance artificial water channels.

Keywords

Artificial water channel / Pore diameter / Ion-water competition / Water transport

References

[1] Yang Z, Qiu Z, Shen L, Chen C, Zhou M, Li B, Zhao L, Lin H, Jiang ZChin. Chem. Lett., 2026, 37112337.

[2] Yan Z, Zhu Z, Kong X-Y, Xiao H, Jiang LChem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2025, 411056.

[3] Liu Y, Zhang J, Wu PCCS Chem., 2024, 7484.

[4] Whitby M, Cagnon L, Thanou M, Quirke NNano Lett., 2008, 82632.

[5] Holt J K, Park H G, Wang Y, Stadermann M, Artyukhin A B, Grigoropoulos C P, Noy A, Bakajin OScience, 2006, 3121034.

[6] Zhai Z, Lu Y, Liu G, Ding W-L, Cao B, He HChem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2024, 403.

[7] Yang F, Wang M, Zhang D, Yang J, Zheng M, Li YChem. Rev., 2020, 1202693.

[8] Zhang R, Zhang Y, Wei FAcc. Chem. Res., 2017, 50179.

[9] Agre PAngew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2004, 434278.

[10] Agre P, King L S, Yasui M, Guggino W B, Ottersen O P, Fujiyoshi Y, Engel A, Nielsen SJ. Physiol., 2002, 5423.

[11] Wei W, Zhao C, Liu S, Jiao X, Liu X, Lan C, Li JChem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2018, 34929.

[12] Gravelle S, Joly L, Detcheverry F, Ybert C, Cottin-Bizonne C, Bocquet LProc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2013, 11016367.

[13] Murata K, Mitsuoka K, Hirai T, Walz T, Agre P, Heymann JB, Engel A, Fujiyoshi YNature, 2000, 407599.

[14] de Groot BL, Grubmüller HScience, 2001, 2942353.

[15] Su D-D, Barboiu MCCS Chem., 2022, 5279.

[16] Shen YScience, 2022, 376698.

[17] Shen Y, Si W, Erbakan M, Decker K, De Zorzi R, Saboe P O, Kang Y J, Majd S, Butler P J, Walz T, Aksimentiev A, Hou J-L, Kumar MProc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2015, 1129810.

[18] Le Duc Y, Michau M, Gilles A, Gence V, Legrand Y-M, van der Lee A, Tingry S, Barboiu MAngew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2011, 5011366.

[19] Pophali S, Su D-D, Ata R, Vijayakanth T, Nandi S, Jain R, Shimon L J W, Misra R, Barboiu MJ. Am. Chem. Soc., 2025, 14717404.

[20] Shen J, Zhang Y, Jin Y, Zhou Z-X, Xu Y, Chang W, Li J, Lin Z, Zeng HAngew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2025, 64e202506341.

[21] Itoh Y, Chen S, Hirahara R, Konda T, Aoki T, Ueda T, Shimada I, Cannon J J, Shao C, Shiomi J, Tabata K V, Noji H, Sato K, Aida TScience, 2022, 376738.

[22] Luo Y, Zhu C, Zhang T, Yan T, Liu JChem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2023, 393.

[23] Zhang K, Wu L, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Wu DChin. J. Chem., 2025, 4361.

[24] Tahir N, Najam T, Nazir M A, Arif A, Nafady A, Sohail M, Shah S S AChin. Chem. Lett., 2026, 37112326.

[25] Zhang L, Cao Y-G, Fan T, Zhao J, Fu Y-H, Xiao Q, Li Z-T, Wang Y, Xiao B, Hou J-LChin. J. Chem., 2024, 421335.

[26] Si W, Chen L, Hu X-B, Tang G, Chen Z, Hou J-L, Li Z-TAngew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2011, 5012564.

[27] Hu X-B, Chen Z, Tang G, Hou J-L, Li Z-TJ. Am. Chem. Soc., 2012, 1348384.

[28] Yan Z-J, Wang D, Ye Z, Fan T, Wu G, Deng L, Yang L, Li B, Liu J, Ma T, Dong C, Li Z-T, Xiao L, Wang Y, Wang W, Hou J-LJ. Am. Chem. Soc., 2020, 14215638.

[29] Xiao Q, Fan T, Wang Y, Li Z-T, Hou J-L, Wang YCCS Chem., 2023, 51745.

[30] Dong J-P, Liu H, Gao W, Xiao L, Sun M, Hou J-LChin. J. Chem., 2026, 44139.

[31] Dong J-P, Zhang L, Hu Y-F, Sun M, Hou J-LChin. Chem. Lett., 2026, 37111420.

[32] Seoh S A, Busath DBiophys. J., 1995, 682271.

[33] Kelkar D A, Chattopadhyay ABiochim. Biophys. Acta Biomembr., 2007, 17682011.

[34] Horner A, Pohl PFaraday Discuss., 2018, 2099.

[35] Thomas J A, McGaughey A J HNano Lett., 2008, 82788.

[36] Su J, Guo HJ. Phys. Chem. B, 2012, 1165925.

[37] He L, Luo Y, Zhang Y, Yan T, Liu JChem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2025, 4195.

[38] Torrie G M, Valleau J PJ. Comput. Phys., 1977, 23187.

[39] Wang Y, Hou J-L, Wang WAngew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2025, 64e202502267.

[40] Kumar S, Rosenberg J M, Bouzida D, Swendsen R H, Kollman P AJ. Comput. Chem., 1992, 131011.

[41] Su Z, Chen J, Zhao Y, Su JPhys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2019, 2111298.

[42] Liu J, Shi G, Guo P, Yang J, Fang HPhys. Rev. Lett., 2015, 115164502.

[43] Tang C Y, Zhao Y, Wang R, Hélix-Nielsen C, Fane A GDesalination, 2013, 30834.

[44] Werber J R, Osuji C O, Elimelech MNat. Rev. Mater., 2016, 116018.

[45] Fan Y, Huang L-B, Li K, Chen Y, Gao J, Meng X, He Z, Barboiu M, Jiang ZCCS Chem., 2025, 73050.

Rights & permissions

Jilin University, The Editorial Department of Chemical Research in Chinese Universities and Springer-Verlag GmbH