News: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025 was awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi.
About Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025
- Winners: The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi.
- Awarded For: Their pioneering work in developing Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) which is a new class of materials with large, structured empty spaces within their molecular framework.
- Core Innovation: MOFs are formed by linking metal atoms with carbon-containing molecules, creating porous structures capable of storing, capturing, or filtering other substances.
- Unlike most materials where atoms are tightly packed, MOFs have highly ordered empty spaces, functioning like molecular sponges that can hold, and release substances as needed.
- The difference between normal compounds and MOFs is like a solid brick building vs. one with beams and pillars — MOFs have vast open molecular spaces.
- Historical Development:
- Richard Robson first conceptualized linking metal atoms with molecules in the 1970s at the University of Melbourne.
- Susumu Kitagawa further refined and demonstrated their practical uses.
- Omar Yaghi advanced the field by creating stable, functional MOFs and formalizing the discipline of reticular chemistry.
- Applications: MOFs are used for water harvesting from desert air, carbon dioxide capture, toxic gas storage, and chemical separation processes.
- Scientific Importance: Their discovery has enabled chemists to design tens of thousands of MOFs, each customizable for specific industrial, environmental, and energy applications.
