Collective diffusion model for water permeation through microscopic channels

Water permeation through microscopic channels was described using a collective diffusion model. In this model, water movement at equilibrium is characterized as an unbiased diffusion along this coordinate and water transport in the presence of a chemical potential difference is described as one-dimensional diffusion in a linear potential. It was suggested that the model can be used in determining the osmotic permeability of a water channel from equilibrium simulations. The collective diffusion model establishes a quantitative relationship between the spontaneous water transport at equilibrium and the stationary water flux under nonequilibrium conditions.