Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025: Honoring the Pioneers of Metal-Organic Frameworks

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to three brilliant scientists — Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi — for their groundbreaking work on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Their discoveries have opened new doors in the world of materials science, with wide-ranging applications in energy, environment, and medicine.

This year’s award recognizes not just a scientific breakthrough, but a major leap in how we think about molecules and materials at the atomic level. The laureates’ pioneering research has created a new class of substances that can trap, store, and separate gases with extraordinary precision. These materials are now considered among the most promising technologies for addressing some of the world’s biggest challenges, including clean energy and climate change.

Understanding the Discovery: What Are MOFs?

At the heart of this year’s Nobel-winning work are metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs. These are highly porous crystalline materials composed of metal ions connected by organic molecules. The result is a structure that looks like a sponge at the microscopic level, full of tiny cavities that can trap gases and other substances.

Each MOF is like a three-dimensional network built from two main components:

1. Metal ions or clusters — which act as joints or connecting nodes.

2. Organic linkers — which act like bridges between the metals.

By changing these components, scientists can design MOFs with specific shapes, pore sizes, and chemical properties. This flexibility makes them incredibly versatile for use in different industries.

Why This Discovery Matters

When we think about the biggest challenges facing humanity — from global warming to clean energy — one common problem stands out: how to capture, store, and use gases efficiently. MOFs offer a smart solution to this.

Here’s why their work is so significant:

• Gas Storage and Separation: MOFs can trap gases like carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane. This means they can play a major role in capturing greenhouse gases or storing clean fuels.

• Clean Energy Applications: They can be used to store hydrogen, making fuel cells and hydrogen-powered vehicles more practical.

• Environmental Benefits: MOFs can filter and separate pollutants from air and water, helping reduce contamination.

• Drug Delivery and Medicine: In healthcare, MOFs can carry and release drugs in a controlled way inside the body.

Their potential extends far beyond laboratories. Today, companies and research institutions are already exploring MOFs for industrial-scale carbon capture, next-generation batteries, and even food preservation.

The Scientists Behind the Breakthrough

Susumu Kitagawa (Japan)

Born in Kyoto, Susumu Kitagawa is a professor at Kyoto University and one of the earliest scientists to demonstrate that porous coordination polymers, now known as MOFs, could absorb and release gases. His research laid the foundation for designing materials that “breathe,” expanding and contracting as they interact with gases.

Kitagawa’s vision transformed an abstract chemical idea into a real-world material with practical applications. He also developed innovative methods to measure and control porosity at the molecular level, which became a cornerstone for modern MOF research.

Richard Robson (Australia)

Richard Robson, a chemist from the University of Melbourne, is widely recognized for establishing the concept of three-dimensional coordination networks in the 1980s and 1990s. His structural insights and crystallographic studies helped scientists visualize how metal ions and organic linkers could combine to form stable, porous frameworks.

Robson’s meticulous work on crystal structures and coordination chemistry gave the scientific community the theoretical tools needed to design and predict the behavior of complex molecular frameworks.

Omar M. Yaghi (United States)

Professor Omar M. Yaghi, currently at the University of California, Berkeley, is considered one of the most influential materials chemists of the modern era. He coined the term “metal-organic frameworks” and developed the first examples of MOFs with tunable porosity.

Yaghi’s group also expanded the concept to include covalent organic frameworks (COFs), another class of porous materials that rely on strong covalent bonds instead of metal coordination. His work bridged the gap between chemistry and nanotechnology, enabling the design of materials with atomic precision.

Together, these three scientists revolutionized how we think about building materials from the molecular level upward.

The Journey of Discovery

The development of MOFs was not an overnight success. It took years of patient experimentation, collaboration, and persistence.

In the 1990s, researchers were trying to create new types of coordination compounds — molecules that could link metal atoms with organic molecules in predictable patterns. While many attempts led to unstable or non-porous structures, Kitagawa, Robson, and Yaghi succeeded in creating frameworks that were both stable and highly porous.

By the early 2000s, MOFs began to attract worldwide attention. Researchers realized they could design these materials like “molecular LEGO,” adjusting the building blocks to achieve desired properties. Soon, MOFs became a central topic in chemistry and materials science, leading to thousands of new structures being synthesized.

Global Impact and Applications

Today, MOFs are being explored in a wide range of fields. Their ability to store, separate, and purify gases has made them valuable in several industries.

1. Carbon Capture and Climate Solutions

MOFs can selectively capture carbon dioxide from industrial emissions, potentially reducing greenhouse gases. Scientists are developing MOF-based filters that could help power plants and factories operate more sustainably.

2. Hydrogen and Methane Storage

Because of their large surface area, MOFs can store hydrogen and methane at high densities. This could help advance cleaner fuels for vehicles and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

3. Water Harvesting from Air

Some MOFs can extract water from even dry air by trapping moisture and releasing it when heated. This innovation could provide drinking water in arid regions.

4. Medicine and Drug Delivery

In biomedicine, MOFs are used to transport drugs or imaging agents in the body. Their structure allows for controlled release, reducing side effects.

5. Food and Agriculture

MOFs can absorb and slowly release fertilizers, improving soil health and reducing waste. They are also being studied for preserving food by trapping ethylene gas that speeds up ripening.

The potential uses are expanding every year, with ongoing research in batteries, electronics, and even catalysis.

Why the Nobel Committee Chose Them

The Nobel Committee highlighted that the 2025 Chemistry Prize recognizes not just one discovery, but a transformation in scientific thinking. Before their work, the idea of designing materials atom-by-atom with predetermined functions seemed like science fiction. Today, it is a thriving reality.

The committee also emphasized how MOFs represent “chemistry for the future”, materials that are not only innovative but also essential for a sustainable planet.

A Milestone for Science and Society

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025 celebrates the power of curiosity-driven research. It shows how fundamental science can lead to practical solutions that benefit humanity.

For young scientists and students, this award is a reminder that patience, creativity, and collaboration are at the heart of great discoveries. For the world at large, it offers hope that chemistry can help solve pressing global problems like energy scarcity and environmental degradation.

As the laureates receive their medals in Stockholm later this year, their work will continue to inspire researchers everywhere, proving that chemistry, at its best, is both an art and a tool for a better future.

Source: Nobel Prize Official Website, Nature Chemistry, The Guardian