Ion transport through pores at the nanoscale is a common process in various biological phenomena. Ion channels, in particular, play an important role in physiological functions such as generating electrical activity in nerves and muscles, regulating cell volume, intracellular signaling, and so on. Malfunctioning channels have been linked to a wide range of diseases. For example, abnormal sodium channels in muscle cell membranes cause hyperkalemic periodic paralysis, and abnormal potassium channels cause cardiac arrhythmia. It is also known that malfunctioning chloride channels are the main cause of cystic fibrosis. Many other disorders are caused by defective ion channels such as epilepsy, diabetes, ataxia, and hypertension [Bagal, Shieh, Choi]. Discovering drugs to restore the correct behavior of malfunctioning ion channels is a challenging problem due to the wide variety of channel types and their complex behavior. The aim of our study is to link the mechanism of ion transport in biological channels to molecular-level characteristics and provide a quantitative understanding of the processes responsible for ion channel function. This is widely recognized as an area in need of development. Ultimately, it will allow the design of new drugs and treatments capable of restoring the correct functioning of the mutated channels. Ion transport also has new applications in medical technology. It has been shown that measuring the ion blocking signal of several nucleotides translocating through a pore can form the basis of a rapid DNA sequencing technique [colloquium, Clarke]. This technique does not require expensive sample preparation and enzyme-dependent amplification, and will therefore dramatically reduce the time and...... middle of paper ......fi nanopores in the solid state show that when ions pass through the pore their hydration layers are distorted. When the pore diameter is very small, the hydration layer must be removed as the ion passes through the pore. The energy cost associated with partial removal of the hydration layer causes stepped characteristics in ionic conductance as a function of pore radius [dehydration, Josi]. We want to examine this process in graphene nanopores. The dehydration of ions in these pores is interesting for multiple reasons: 1) the dynamics of the process, in addition to the energetics, are expected to play an important role due to the small size and 2) these pores will allow the systematic investigation of the factors that contribute to the complex biological ion channel. Furthermore, these pores can be fabricated much more precisely and lead to more well-controlled experiments.