The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to three scientists — Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University, Richard Robson of the University of Melbourne, and Omar M. Yaghi of the University of California, Berkeley — for pioneering the development of metal organic frameworks (MOFs), materials with vast potential in environmental and industrial applications.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the winners on Wednesday, recognizing their creation of “molecular constructions with large spaces through which gases and other chemicals can flow.”
These intricate frameworks enable the harvesting of water from desert air, capture of carbon dioxide, storage of toxic gases, and breakdown of environmental pollutants such as pharmaceutical residues.
“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. Committee member Olof Ramstrom compared the porous structures to Hermione Granger’s magical handbag from the Harry Potter series — “small on the outside but very large on the inside.”
Kitagawa expressed gratitude during the Nobel press conference, saying he was “deeply honoured” by the recognition. “My dream is to capture air and separate air — for instance, CO₂ or oxygen or water — and convert this to useful materials using renewable energy,” he said.
Yaghi, born to Palestinian refugee parents in Jordan, shared a personal reflection on his unlikely scientific journey. “It’s quite a journey, and science allows you to do it,” he told the Nobel website, recalling that his parents could barely read or write. “Science is the greatest equalising force in the world,” he added. Yaghi’s fascination with chemistry began at age 10 when he discovered a book on molecules — a moment he described as transformative: “The deeper you dig, the more beautifully you find things are constructed.”
Working independently but building upon each other’s discoveries, the trio devised methods to create stable and adaptable MOFs — crystalline materials with vast internal surface areas. The concept began in 1989 when Robson experimented with positively charged copper ions and four-armed molecules to form a diamond-like lattice with cavities, though the fragile crystals collapsed easily. Between 1992 and 2003, Kitagawa and Yaghi refined the process: Kitagawa demonstrated the flexibility of MOFs, while Yaghi developed rational design techniques to tailor their properties.
Their achievements reshaped material science. “We named Kitagawa and Yaghi Citation Laureates in 2010, based on their exceptional citation records — a clear signal of their profound influence,” said David Pendlebury, head of research analysis at Clarivate’s Institute for Scientific Information. He noted that both scientists have been listed as Highly Cited Researchers annually since 2014, underscoring their enduring leadership in the field.
This year’s chemistry award follows Monday’s Nobel Prize in Medicine, shared by Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for their discoveries on immune tolerance, and Tuesday’s Physics Prize to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for advancing quantum tunnelling research.
The Nobel announcements continue with literature on Thursday, peace on Friday, and economics next Monday. Laureates will receive their awards on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896 — the Swedish inventor of dynamite whose legacy endures as a global celebration of scientific and cultural excellence.
Source: Al Jazeera
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