Stockholm, Oct 9: Scientists Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi were awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for pioneering the development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)—a new form of molecular architecture with wide-ranging practical applications.Announced in Stockholm by Hans Ellegren, Secretary-General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Nobel Committee praised the trio’s work in creating molecular structures with large internal spaces, allowing gases and chemicals to flow through them.
Their innovations, dating back to 1989, laid the groundwork for materials capable of capturing carbon dioxide, harvesting water from desert air, storing toxic gases, and catalyzing chemical reactions.
The three scientists worked independently but built on each other’s discoveries. Robson, 88, is based at the University of Melbourne; Kitagawa, 74, is with Kyoto University in Japan; and Yaghi, 60, is affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley.
MOFs are often likened to the framework of a house, providing a stable structure with spacious internal cavities.
Heiner Linke, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, highlighted their enormous potential in custom-designed materials.
Committee member Olof Ramström likened MOFs to Hermione Granger’s enchanted handbag from Harry Potter—small on the outside, vast inside.
Kitagawa said he was “deeply honoured and delighted” by the recognition.
Since 1901, 116 chemistry prizes have been awarded to 195 individuals.
This year’s award is the third Nobel Prize announced in 2025. On Monday, the medicine prize went to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for discoveries on peripheral immune tolerance.
On Tuesday, the physics prize was awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for work on quantum tunnelling.
The 2024 chemistry Nobel, mentioned for context, was awarded to David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper for using AI to design proteins, revolutionizing drug discovery.
The Nobel Prize announcements continue with literature on Thursday, peace on Friday, and economics on Monday.
The official award ceremony will be held on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.