SRINAGAR: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Wednesday announced that the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M Yaghi for their pioneering development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), a breakthrough described as a “revolution in molecular architecture.”
The Nobel Prize amount of 11 million Swedish kronor will be shared equally among the three laureates, whose discoveries have opened vast possibilities for environmental and industrial innovation. The announcement was made through an official statement by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and NobelPrize.org.
The laureates were recognised “for the development of metal–organic frameworks,” crystalline structures built from metal ions and organic molecules that form large, porous networks. These frameworks can be engineered to capture, store, or separate specific gases and chemicals.
According to the Academy, the technology has potential applications in harvesting water from desert air, capturing carbon dioxide, storing toxic gases, and catalysing chemical reactions.
“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.
The origins of the discovery trace back to 1989 when Richard Robson, Professor at the University of Melbourne, Australia, first created a spacious crystal by combining copper ions with a four-armed molecule. Though unstable at the time, his work laid the foundation for later breakthroughs.
Between 1992 and 2003, Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University, Japan, and Omar M. Yaghi of the University of California, Berkeley, USA, made crucial advancements that stabilised and expanded the concept. Kitagawa demonstrated that gases could flow through MOF structures and predicted their flexibility, while Yaghi developed a stable and tunable version that could be designed with specific properties.
Since their discoveries, chemists have developed tens of thousands of MOFs with applications ranging from carbon capture and environmental cleanup to water purification. The Academy noted that some of these materials could help address pressing global challenges, including removing PFAS from water and breaking down pharmaceutical residues.
Comprehensive information about the award and scientific background is available on the websites of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Nobel Foundation.
