The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was announced on October 8, 2025, by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden. The prize was awarded jointly to Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University, Richard Robson of the University of Melbourne, and Omar Yaghi of the University of California, Berkeley, for the development of metal–organic frameworks.
Their discoveries revealed a new form of molecular architecture—structures with vast internal spaces that allow gases and other chemicals to flow freely. These porous materials, known as metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), combine metal ions that act as cornerstones with long, carbon-based molecules that link them together. The resulting crystals contain large, well-ordered cavities that can be tailored to trap, store, or react with specific substances.
“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 breakthrough began in 1989, when Robson experimented with linking copper ions to a four-armed molecule that bound to the ions at each end, forming a diamond-like crystal with countless cavities. Although the structure was fragile, it hinted at a powerful new design principle. Between 1992 and 2003, Kitagawa and Yaghi, working independently, laid the foundation for the concept. Kitagawa demonstrated that gases could pass in and out of these frameworks and predicted they could flex without collapsing. Yaghi went on to create the first stable MOF and showed that its properties could be systematically tuned through rational chemical design.
Since those pioneering studies, chemists have synthesized tens of thousands of MOFs, many of which have direct applications to global challenges. Some can capture carbon dioxide, harvest water from desert air, store toxic gases, or catalyze reactions to break down pharmaceuticals and persistent pollutants such as PFAS. Others conduct electricity or serve as molecular sponges for energy storage.
According to CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society, research on MOFs is approaching a commercial tipping point as these materials move from laboratory studies to real-world applications. CAS recently highlighted MOFs as one of 2025’s most influential scientific breakthroughs, noting their growing potential in clean energy, advanced materials design, and sustainable chemistry.
Kitagawa, Robson, and Yaghi will share the $1.17 million prize. Their work has not only transformed materials science but also expanded the creative frontier of chemistry—demonstrating that molecular design can open up entirely new possibilities.
