NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY AWARDED TO SUSUMU KITAGAWA, RICHARD ROBSON AND OMAR M. YAGHI FOR GROUNDBREAKING METAL-ORGANIC FRAMEWORKS

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 revolutionary molecular architecture with vast potential to address global challenges like pollution and climate change. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the prestigious award on Wednesday.

Their groundbreaking discovery likened to Hermione Granger’s enchanted handbag in the Harry Potter series – seemingly small externally but harboring immense internal space – enables MOFs to absorb and contain substantial quantities of gases. “These constructions, metal-organic frameworks, can be used to harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gases or catalyse chemical reactions,” noted the Nobel Committee.

Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University, Japan, Richard Robson of the University of Melbourne, Australia, and Omar M. Yaghi of the University of California, Berkeley, worked independently yet complementarily, with Robson’s initial breakthroughs dating back to 1989. “Metal-organic frameworks have enormous potential, bringing previously unforeseen opportunities for custom-made materials with new functions,” emphasized Heiner Linke, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.

Applications span capturing carbon dioxide, extracting water from arid desert air, separating harmful “forever chemicals” (PFAS) from water, and breaking down pharmaceutical traces in the environment. Olof Ramström, a committee member, compared MOFs to a house’s timber framework – compact outwardly yet expansive inwardly.

“I’m deeply honored and delighted that my long-standing research has been recognized,” Kitagawa expressed over phone upon announcement. Robson, 88, confessed being “very pleased of course and a bit stunned as well,” adding, “This is a major thing that happens late in life”.

The laureates join esteemed ranks; last year’s chemistry prize honored David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper for decoding proteins using AI. Earlier 2025 Nobel announcements include medicine (Monday) and physics (Tuesday) prizes; literature (Thursday), peace (Friday), and economics (next Monday) awards follow.

The ceremony occurs December 10, commemorating Alfred Nobel’s death anniversary, the prizes’ founder and dynamite inventor who passed away in 1896. The award carries an 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million) prize.