Nobel Prize for Chemistry 2025

Chemists are atomic architects, building new molecules and materials to push the limits of what can be done. The 2025 Nobel for Chemistry was awarded to Richard Robson (Australia), Susumu Kitagawa (Japan) and Omar Yahghi (USA) for the development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These crystalline materials are like the framework of a building, with metal ions at a join point, or node, and then large organic molecules as the connectors between nodes. Because of this arrangement MOFs have large (relatively speaking) pores, or spaces, within them. You can think of them like a sponge but with very regularly spaced holes. Because of this structure MOFs can trap and store different molecules. This leads to some very cool things including the ability to pull water out of the air, separate pollution from air (including CO2) or water, catalyse chemical reactions and act as sensors. There are thousands of applications for MOFs. Like with all of the Nobel Prizes awarded this year we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of what these discoveries will lead to.