Trio wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry for molecular frameworks

Working independently, the trio built stable, house-like molecular frameworks that can store vast amounts of gas

- MPOST BUREAU

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded on Wednesday to scientists Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for their groundbreaking development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) — molecular structures with vast internal spaces that can trap, store and manipulate gases.

Announcing the prize in Stockholm, Hans Ellegren, secretary-general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, said the three laureates “have developed a new form of molecular architecture.’ Their work, which dates back to 1989, has opened the door to new ways of tackling global challenges, from carbon capture to water harvesting in arid regions.

“These constructions, metal-organic frameworks, can be used to harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gases or catalyse chemical reactions,” the Nobel Committee said in a statement.