2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Honors Pioneering Work on Metal-Organic Frameworks with Major Environmental Impacts
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognizes breakthrough work on metal-organic frameworks, materials poised to revolutionize environmental and climate solutions, praised by Swedish researchers.
- • Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi awarded Nobel Prize for work on MOFs.
- • MOFs enable water purification, drug residue breakdown, carbon capture, and water extraction.
- • Swedish researchers at Stockholm University study sustainable MOFs using natural compounds.
- • MOF technology may transform business economics by making environmental efforts profitable.
- • Experts from Stockholm University available for commentary on the prize’s significance.
Key details
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for their pioneering research on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), innovative materials with transformative applications in environmental and climate efforts. Their work allows for constructing porous materials capable of purifying water contaminated with hazardous PFAS substances, breaking down drug residues, extracting water from the air, and capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide, marking a significant breakthrough in green technology.
Kitagawa of Kyoto University (Japan), Robson of the University of Melbourne (Australia), and Yaghi of the University of California, Berkeley (USA) have developed a novel approach to creating materials with programmable structures at the atomic level. This affords precise control over the materials' properties for diverse applications. Swedish academics at Stockholm University praised the award, highlighting ongoing research on MOFs aimed at sustainable chemistry and environmental remediation, including the use of naturally derived compounds like pomegranate extract to create porous crystals that capture pharmaceutical pollutants from wastewater.
The MOF technology is seen not only as a scientific innovation but also as a potentially revolutionary economic development. Environmental commentator Katrine Kielos noted that these materials could change the traditional view of nature as a free resource and environmental safeguarding as a cost, potentially turning eco-friendly measures into profitable business ventures. This breakthrough holds promise to drive the next generation of climate technologies.
Stockholm University has made several experts available to comment on this landmark award, underscoring the importance of MOFs in addressing some of the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges. The Nobel Prize, established by Alfred Nobel to recognize contributions benefiting humanity, underscores the global significance of this chemistry innovation.
As the scientific community celebrates the achievements of these researchers, attention now turns to the far-reaching impacts MOF technology could have in advancing global sustainability and green technological solutions.