Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025
Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025: Scientists Honored for Groundbreaking Work on Porous Materials
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Michael Robson, Susumu Kitagawa, and Omar Yaghi for their discoveries that changed the way scientists create and use materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These materials can trap and store gases, helping develop cleaner and more efficient technologies.
Michael Robson first discovered a crystal made from carbon-based compounds that looked like diamond but had tiny holes throughout. Unlike the tightly packed diamond structure, Robson’s material was full of spaces — and those spaces turned out to be extremely useful.
Inspired by this idea, Susumu Kitagawa from Kyoto University created new MOFs that could absorb gases such as methane, nitrogen, and oxygen. His work showed how these materials could help capture and store different types of gases safely.
Around the same time, Omar Yaghi from the University of California, Berkeley, was experimenting with metal ions and organic molecules. In 1999, he developed MOF-5, a strong and stable material with a huge surface area. Just a few grams of MOF-5 — about the size of a sugar cube — could have as much surface area as a soccer field. This made it perfect for holding large amounts of gas.
Yaghi found out about his Nobel win while picking up his luggage at the airport. “It was absolutely thrilling,” he said, adding that his phone has been ringing nonstop since.
Born to Palestinian refugee parents, Yaghi moved from Jordan to the U.S. as a teenager. He credits the American public school system for helping him succeed, saying it gave him the chance to “work hard and distinguish” himself despite his background.
The three scientists will share the 11 million Swedish kronor prize (about $1.1 million), a recognition of their life-changing discoveries that continue to shape modern chemistry.