Nobel Prize in Chemistry Honors Discovery of Metal–Organic Frameworks Key to Carbon Capture
Three chemists received the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for creating metal–organic frameworks, porous structures that can capture carbon dioxide, store gases, and extract water from dry air.
(P&GJ) — Three scientists — Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi — have been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for pioneering the development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), a breakthrough class of porous materials capable of trapping gases, storing chemicals, and catalyzing reactions.
Announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the prize recognizes their work in building molecular structures with vast internal spaces that can absorb or filter specific substances — including carbon dioxide, toxic gases, and even water vapor from desert air, according to the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.
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MOFs consist of metal ions linked by long organic molecules that act as connectors, forming rigid, crystal-like frameworks with enormous internal surface areas. These structures can be customized to store or separate targeted materials and have potential applications in carbon capture, water purification, and environmental cleanup.
“Metal–organic frameworks have enormous potential, bringing previously unforeseen opportunities for custom-made materials with new functions,” said Heiner Linke, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.
The discovery stems from decades of research. In 1989, Richard Robson created the first spacious crystal using copper ions and a multi-armed molecule, though his design was initially unstable. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Susumu Kitagawa showed that gases could move through such frameworks, while Omar Yaghi developed highly stable, tunable MOFs that became the foundation for thousands of new compounds used today.
The three laureates will share the 11 million Swedish kronor (about $1 million) prize equally.