Kitagawa, Robson & Yaghi win Nobel in Chemistry for Metal–Organic Frameworks
The laureates created molecular constructions with vast internal spaces that allow gases and other chemicals to pass through.
The trio’s work introduced a new form of molecular architecture, where metal ions act as cornerstones linked by long organic molecules.
New Delhi, Oct 8: Three scientists from the United States, Japan, and Australia have been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)— materials known for their porous structure and ability to store gases and catalyse reactions.
The laureates — Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi — created molecular constructions with vast internal spaces that allow gases and other chemicals to pass through. These frameworks can be used to harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gases, and facilitate chemical reactions.
“The 2025 #NobelPrize in Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi ‘for the development of metal-organic frameworks’,” the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.
The trio’s work introduced a new form of molecular architecture, where metal ions act as cornerstones linked by long organic molecules. Together, they form crystalline structures with large, porous cavities. By varying the building blocks, chemists can design MOFs to capture specific substances, store energy, or conduct electricity.
“Metal-organic frameworks have enormous potential, bringing previously unforeseen opportunities for custom-made materials with new functions,” said Heiner Linke, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.
Following the laureates’ groundbreaking discoveries, chemists have built tens of thousands of different MOFs.
Some of these may contribute to solving some of humankind’s greatest challenges, with applications that include separating PFAS from water, breaking down traces of pharmaceuticals in the environment, capturing carbon dioxide, or harvesting water from desert air.
Kyoto University Professor Kitagawa was born in 1951 in Kyoto, Japan. He undertook his doctorate from the varsity in 1979.
Born in 1937 in Glusburn, UK, Robson got his doctorate from the University of Oxford in 1962. He is currently working as a Professor at the University of Melbourne, Australia.
Yaghi was born in 1965 in Amman, Jordan. He got his doctorate from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, US, in 1990. He is currently a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, US. The prize money of 11 million Swedish kronor will be shared equally between the laureates.
IANS