The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025 honors three researchers for developing porous structures that can capture gases, extract water, and fight climate change.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025 was awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for their groundbreaking work on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), materials with the potential to revolutionize science and help combat the climate crisis.
According to the Nobel Committee, this year’s award recognizes their efforts to “create new rules for chemistry.” Kitagawa represents Kyoto University (Japan), Robson hails from the University of Melbourne (Australia), and Yaghi is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley (USA).
These MOF structures are built from metal ions and carbon-based organic molecules, forming crystalline frameworks full of microscopic cavities. These pores can trap, filter, or store substances such as greenhouse gases or water vapor, offering a new way to address environmental challenges.
In practical terms, MOFs can harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, and store toxic gases—making them essential tools in the fight against climate change.
“Metal-organic frameworks offer previously unimaginable possibilities to design custom materials with novel functions,” said Heiner Linke, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.
Chemist Fernando Gomollón Bel described them as “microscopic sponges with immense internal surfaces, ideal for chemical reactions, gas absorption, or catalysis.”
Notably, Omar Yaghi developed highly hydrophilic materials that extract liquid water from arid air, a breakthrough in sustainable water technology.
The flexibility of MOFs lies in their tunable design: by changing their metal ions or organic components, scientists can tailor their properties to specific needs—whether capturing CO₂, removing pollutants, or conducting electricity.
The origins of this discovery trace back to 1989, when Richard Robson began experimenting with copper ions to create ordered crystalline structures. While initially unstable, his work inspired Susumu Kitagawa and Omar Yaghi to refine the concept between 1992 and 2003. Kitagawa demonstrated that gases could flow through these frameworks, while Yaghi developed more robust, modifiable versions.
Since then, tens of thousands of MOF variations have been created, many directly applicable to environmental protection.
Researcher Catalina Biglione, from IMDEA Energy, called the recognition “well-deserved,” emphasizing that MOFs have “extraordinary versatility, from pollutant capture to energy applications and even nanomedicine.”
These materials can capture CO₂ from the atmosphere, reduce plastic pollution, purify water, and break down pharmaceutical waste—turning chemistry into a force for sustainability.
“This award not only celebrates a scientific achievement,” Biglione concluded, “but also highlights a technological platform with truly transformative potential.”
