Stockholm: The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for their revolutionary work on the development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences recognized their crucial contributions to creating these innovative materials.
A Discovery Unlocking New Possibilities
The metal-organic frameworks developed by the trio have a wide range of practical applications. The Nobel jury highlighted that this discovery can be used to harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, safely store toxic gases, and catalyze chemical reactions. “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, in a statement.
The prize money of 11 million Swedish crowns (approximately ₹10 crore) will be shared among the three laureates.
About the Laureates
- Susumu Kitagawa: Hailing from Japan, he earned his PhD in hydrocarbon chemistry from Kyoto University, where he currently teaches.
- Richard Robson: Born in the UK, Robson studied chemistry at the University of Oxford and is now a professor at the University of Melbourne.
- Omar M. Yaghi: Born in Amman, Jordan, he completed his PhD at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the US and is now a professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
Last year, the prize was awarded to David Baker, John Jumper, and Demis Hassabis. The Nobel Prize for Literature will be announced tomorrow, followed by the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.
