Post by : Ceo Admin

Nobel Prize 2025: Chemistry Award Goes to Pioneers of MOFs

In a landmark announcement, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for their revolutionary work in developing metal organic frameworks (MOFs). Their innovations are opening new frontiers in material science, with applications ranging from water harvesting in arid regions to capturing harmful greenhouse gases.

Reimagining Molecular Architecture

MOFs are crystalline structures with vast internal spaces that allow gases and chemicals to flow freely. This unique feature enables them to store toxic gases, capture carbon dioxide, and even break down pharmaceutical residues in the environment. Olof Ramstrom, a member of the Nobel Committee, likened these frameworks to Hermione Granger’s magical handbag—small from the outside but vast and versatile inside.

Journey from Discovery to Practical Use

The journey began in 1989 when Richard Robson explored the combination of copper ions with a four-armed molecule, forming a diamond-shaped crystal with internal cavities. While groundbreaking, these early structures were fragile. Between 1992 and 2003, Susumu Kitagawa and Omar Yaghi expanded on these ideas, stabilizing the frameworks. Kitagawa demonstrated their flexibility, while Yaghi introduced techniques for rational design, making the frameworks highly adaptable for practical use.

Today, these molecular “houses” can trap and store gases, provide solutions for water scarcity, and assist in environmental cleanup, showcasing the enormous potential of MOFs in addressing global challenges.

A Year of Nobel Announcements

The chemistry prize follows the Nobel in medicine, awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi for breakthroughs in peripheral immune tolerance, and the physics prize, given to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for research on quantum tunneling. Upcoming announcements this week include the Nobel in literature, peace, and economics. The official award ceremony will take place on December 10, honoring the legacy of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite.

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