Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026

Probing the Structure and Dynamics of Interfacial Water with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy
Published on: May 27, 2018
Phase transition and interpore correlations of water in nanopore membranes
Georg Menzl1, Jürgen Köfinger, Christoph Dellago
1Faculty of Physics and Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Abstract:
Using computer simulations, we study a membrane of parallel narrow pores filled with one-dimensional wires of hydrogen-bonded water molecules. We show that such a membrane is equivalent to a system of effective charges located at opposite sides of the membrane offering a computationally efficient way to model correlation effects in water-filled nanopore membranes. Based on our simulations we predict that membranes with square pore lattices undergo a continuous order-disorder transition to an antiferroelectric low-temperature phase in which water wires in adjacent pores are oriented in opposite directions. Strong antiferroelectric correlations exist also in the disordered phase far above the critical temperature or in membranes with geometric frustration, leading to a dielectric constant that is reduced considerably with respect to the case of uncoupled water wires. These correlations are also expected to hinder proton translocation through the membrane.
Related Concept Videos
Aquaporins
Pore Transport and Ion-Pair Transport
Pore transport, also known as convective transport, is a process where small molecules like urea, water, and sugars rapidly cross cell membranes as though there were channels or pores in the membrane. Although direct microscopic evidence is limited but the concept of pores or channels is widely accepted based on physiological evidence. Despite the lack of direct microscopic...
Membrane Fluidity
Membrane Fluidity
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is a relatively...
Protein Diffusion in the Membrane
Structure of Porins

