Three scientists win Nobel Prize 2025 in Chemistry for developing ‘new type of molecular architecture’

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M Yaghi on Wednesday “for the development of metal–organic frameworks.”

Among the three scientists, Susumu Kitagawa is from Kyoto University in Japan, Richard Robson is from the University of Melbourne in Australia, and Omar M Yaghi is from the University of California, Berkeley.

Why have these scientists won Nobel Prize 2025 in Chemistry?

Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi have been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of a new type of molecular architecture.

As per the organisation, back in 1989, chemistry laureate Richard Robson had tested utilising the inherent properties of atoms in a new way.

He combined positively charged copper ions with a four-armed molecule. This had a chemical group that was attracted to copper ions at the end of each arm.

When they were combined, they bonded to form a well-ordered, spacious crystal. It was like a diamond filled with innumerable cavities.

Robson immediately recognised the potential of his molecular construction, but it was unstable and collapsed easily.

However, Susumu Kitagawa and Omar Yaghi provided this building method with a firm foundation; between 1992 and 2003 they made, separately, a series of revolutionary discoveries.

Susumu Kitagawa showed that gases can flow in and out of the constructions and predicted that metal–organic frameworks (MOF) could be made flexible.

Omar Yaghi created a very stable metal–organic frameworks and showed that it can be modified using rational design, giving it new and desirable properties.

‘Groundbreaking discoveries’

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said that through the development of metal–organic frameworks, 2025 chemistry laureates Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi provided chemists with new opportunities for solving some of the challenges we face.

Following the laureates’ groundbreaking discoveries, researchers have created numerous different and functional metal–organic frameworks.

So far, in most cases, the materials have only been used on a small scale. To harness the benefits of metal–organic frameworks materials for humanity, many companies are now investing in their mass production and commercialisation.

Some have succeeded. For example, the electronics industry can now use metal–organic frameworks materials to contain some of the toxic gases required to produce semiconductors.

Another metal–organic frameworks can instead break down harmful gases, including some that can be used as chemical weapons. Numerous companies are also testing materials that can capture carbon dioxide from factories and power stations, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Some researchers believe that metal–organic frameworks have such huge potential that they will be the material of the twenty-first century.