Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025: For the Development of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)

Winners:

• Susumu Kitagawa (Japan)
• Richard Robson (UK)
• Omar M. Yaghi (USA)

Announcement:

• The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on October 8, 2025, that the Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi “for the development of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs).”

Achievements:

• They developed large, porous molecular structures that can allow gases and other chemicals to flow through them.
• MOFs can be used in various fields, such as:
  • Harvesting water from desert air
  • Absorbing carbon dioxide
  • Storing toxic gases
  • Catalyzing chemical reactions

Key Contributions:

1. Richard Robson (1989)
   • Explored new properties of molecules.
   • Linked charged copper ions with square-shaped molecules.
   • The structure was unstable but introduced a new concept.
2. Susumu Kitagawa
   • Demonstrated that gases can flow in and out of the structures.
   • Predicted the possibility of making MOFs flexible.
3. Omar M. Yaghi
   • Developed highly stable MOFs.
   • Added new functionalities to MOFs through rational design.

Significance:

• MOFs have the potential to revolutionize the chemical industry, environmental protection, and water management.