Marrakech – The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025 has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University, Richard Robson of the University of Melbourne, and Omar M. Yaghi of the University of California, Berkeley, for their groundbreaking development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).
These molecular architectures, described by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences as “rooms for chemistry,” allow gases and other chemicals to flow through their crystalline cavities. Applications range from harvesting water from desert air to capturing carbon dioxide and filtering toxins from the environment.
The trio will share SEK 11 million ($1.2 million). The Academy praised their work as “a revolution in materials science” with the potential to address some of humanity’s greatest challenges, including climate change, clean water access, and renewable energy storage.
Professor Heiner Linke, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, likened the structures to “rooms in a hotel” or even Hermione’s enchanted handbag in Harry Potter: a small amount of material capable of storing vast quantities of gas.
MOFs have since been heralded as the “material of the 21st century,” with tens of thousands of variations now in existence, each designed for specific tasks from clean fuels to medical applications.
Revolutionary porous crystals reshape chemistry and energy
The research began in 1989, when Robson tested ways to build molecular crystals inspired by diamonds. His pioneering design collapsed easily, but laid the foundation for later breakthroughs. In the 1990s, Kitagawa demonstrated that gases could flow in and out of such frameworks, while Yaghi created stable, modifiable MOFs that could be tailored atom by atom.
These discoveries unlocked a “Lego-like” chemistry where scientists could design crystalline frameworks with precision, fusing organic and inorganic worlds into a new discipline called reticular chemistry. Today, MOFs are being explored for hydrogen storage, carbon capture, water harvesting, and even breaking down dangerous forever chemicals.
The Nobel Prize announcement acknowledged that the laureates’ research “has given chemists new opportunities for solving some of the challenges we face.” For industry, MOFs may prove central to cleaner fuels, pollution control, and sustainable manufacturing.
As global companies test ways to scale MOFs for mass production, their promise extends into nuclear disarmament too. Some frameworks may be used to absorb harmful gases tied to weapons stockpiles. Others are being studied for drug delivery, catalysis, and green energy storage.
Recognition for porous crystals has long been awaited. As Imperial College chemist Becky Greenaway noted: “Lots of chemists have been wondering when metal-organic frameworks would get the Nobel Prize – and it’s finally happened.”
From refugee roots to scientific triumph worldwide
One of the three laureates, Omar M. Yaghi, embodies a personal journey as extraordinary as his science. Born in 1965 to Palestinian refugee parents in Amman, Jordan, he grew up above his father’s butcher shop in modest conditions.
With little English, he moved alone to the United States as a teenager, studying at Hudson Valley Community College while mopping floors and bagging groceries to support himself.
He went on to earn a chemistry degree cum laude at SUNY Albany in 1985 and a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1990. After a fellowship at Harvard, Yaghi built his academic career across Arizona State, Michigan, UCLA, and finally UC Berkeley, where he pioneered reticular chemistry.
In 2021, he was granted Saudi citizenship under a royal decree recognizing leading scientists. He now holds the James and Neeltje Tretter Chair in Chemistry at Berkeley and is among the world’s most cited chemists.
Yaghi’s innovations include not only MOFs but also covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), all of which are transforming clean energy, catalysis, and water sustainability. He is also credited with establishing global research centers that empower young scientists in countries from Vietnam to Saudi Arabia.
He has previously been honored with the Wolf Prize in Chemistry, the Tang Prize in Sustainable Development, and the Von Hippel Award, making this Nobel the culmination of decades of recognition.
Science driven by perseverance and global collaboration
Kitagawa, born in Kyoto in 1951, showed that MOFs based on cobalt, nickel, and zinc could be stable and used for gas storage. He was praised for his vision of using MOFs to extract elements like carbon and oxygen and reconstitute them into useful materials through green energy.
Robson, born in the UK and later based in Australia, was inspired by the geometry of diamonds when he first assembled spacious crystals. His insight set the stage for others to refine, stabilize, and expand the family of porous materials.
Together, the three scientists demonstrated that matter could be deliberately designed for targeted purposes – a breakthrough in both philosophy and practice of chemistry.
Speaking after the announcement, Yaghi reflected: “I was in love with chemistry from the very beginning. I disliked class, but I loved the lab.” His statement captured the drive that led him from refugee hardship to scientific glory.
The Academy called their collective work “molecular architecture,” underscoring that these frameworks are not just new materials but entirely new ways of constructing matter.
Nobel Prize elevates chemistry’s role for humanity
The Chemistry Nobel Prize is sometimes overshadowed by awards in physics or peace, yet its laureates have shaped the modern world through discoveries like DNA sequencing and nuclear fission. The 2025 award highlights chemistry’s pivotal role in tackling existential global challenges.
Annette Doherty, president of the Royal Society of Chemistry in Britain, said the award proves once again that “chemists welcome the challenge of finding solutions to the biggest problems our global society faces – better healthcare, environmental protection, clean energy, and secure food and water for everyone.”
For Omar Yaghi, Kitagawa, and Robson, the recognition represents both personal triumph and the collective progress of science. Their frameworks may provide answers to climate change, water scarcity, and toxic pollution – some of the most urgent crises of our age.
As the Academy summed up, MOFs are “bringing previously unforeseen opportunities for custom-made materials with new functions.” For the world, this Nobel Prize signals that chemistry is not only about discovery, but about survival.
