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The contributions of the scientists who won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and what their work means:
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Laureates
Susumu Kitagawa (Japan)
Richard Robson (Australia)
Omar M. Yaghi (USA)
They were awarded “for the development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).”
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What are Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) / Key Concepts
MOFs are crystalline materials made by linking metal ions (or metal clusters) with organic molecules (“linkers”) to build a scaffold-like structure that has very large internal spaces (pores/cavities).
The properties of MOFs include very large internal surface area, tunability (by selecting different metals, organic linkers, geometry, etc.), and ability to allow gases or liquids to flow into and out of the pores.
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Main Contributions of Each Laureate & Their Collective Impact
1. Richard Robson
Pioneered early MOF designs: combining positively charged metal ions (e.g. copper) with multi-armed organic linkers to form frameworks with cavities.
Although early MOFs were unstable, his work provided foundational ideas and structures on which later improvements were built.
2. Susumu Kitagawa
Showed MOFs with improved stability and demonstrated that they are flexible and permeable to gases — important for real-world applications.
Helped establish that MOFs could be designed so that the flow of gas (adsorption/desorption) could be controlled, and that the frameworks could be modified/tuned.
3. Omar M. Yaghi
Developed the concept of reticular chemistry, which is about constructing molecular building blocks into extended porous structures in a rational, design-guided way.
Synthesized highly stable MOFs, expanded the range of possible MOFs dramatically, and demonstrated many applications: gas storage (e.g. hydrogen, methane), carbon dioxide capture, water harvesting from arid air, removal of toxic substances, catalysis, etc.
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Applications & Why It Matters
Their work opens up many possibilities in dealing with some of humanity’s challenges. Some of the main applications include:
Capturing and storing gases: CO₂ capture (helping mitigate climate change), hydrogen storage (for clean energy), methane, etc.
Water harvesting: extracting moisture from desert or very dry air.
Purifying water / removing pollutants: e.g. removing “forever chemicals” (PFAS), toxic gases, or filtering impurities.
Catalysis: using MOFs to speed certain chemical reactions, perhaps more efficiently, by tailoring the pores and chemical environment inside them.
Material science and sustainability: because MOFs can be tuned, they offer a platform for designing materials with specific desired functions (selectivity, stability, etc.) which can help in energy, environment, and possibly medical/industrial uses