Kitagawa, Robson, Yaghi Win 2025 Chemistry Nobel for Metal–Organic Frameworks

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for their pioneering development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), which create molecular structures with large spaces allowing gases and chemicals to flow through. These MOFs have significant applications including water harvesting from desert air, carbon dioxide capture, toxic gas storage, and catalysis of chemical reactions, offering new opportunities for addressing scientific and global challenges. The laureates share a prize sum of 11 million Swedish crowns (about $1.2 million) and will be honored in a December 10 ceremony in Stockholm. This prize follows the recent awards given for medicine and physics and continues Alfred Nobel's legacy of recognizing groundbreaking achievements in science. The chemistry prize has historically recognized transformative discoveries such as DNA sequencing and protein structure decoding, with last year's award focused on protein research and drug development. The announcement highlights the global impact of MOFs and the enduring prestige of the Nobel Prize in advancing scientific innovation.