2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Awarded for Metal-Organic Frameworks - Kitagawa, Robson, and Yaghi

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for their groundbreaking work on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) porous crystalline materials made from metal ions linked by organic molecules. These structures can trap and store gases, offering immense potential for environmental, industrial, and energy-related applications. MOFs have been used to capture carbon dioxide, extract water from arid air, purify gases, and serve as catalysts, making them a cornerstone of modern materials science.

The laureates have each made significant contributions to the field. Kitagawa, a professor at Kyoto University, Japan, demonstrated the flexibility and functionality of MOFs and highlighted their potential for transforming air into useful materials using renewable energy. “My dream is to capture air and separate air to, for instance, CO₂, oxygen, or water and convert this to useful materials,” he said at the Nobel press conference. Robson, a professor at the University of Melbourne, Australia, synthesized early copper-based MOFs that demonstrated the concept’s potential, while Yaghi, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, expanded MOFs’ practical applications in carbon capture, water harvesting, and energy storage. The Nobel committee noted, “Through the development of metal-organic frameworks, the laureates have provided chemists with new opportunities for solving some of the challenges we face.”

Over the past two days, the scientific community celebrated not only the Chemistry laureates-Kitagawa, Robson, and Yaghi-but also the Physics laureates-John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis-who were recognized for breakthroughs in quantum phenomena in superconducting circuits. Together, these awards highlight how fundamental scientific discoveries are driving real-world innovations to address pressing global challenges, from climate change and water scarcity to advanced computing technologies.