In a groundbreaking recognition of scientific innovation, Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi have been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their revolutionary development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a new form of molecular architecture with profound implications for addressing global challenges. These porous materials feature exceptionally large surface areas—where a sugar cube-sized amount can contain surface area equivalent to a football pitch—enabling remarkable capabilities for gas storage and chemical separation. The laureates’ work has created materials that can harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide emissions, and store toxic gases, offering powerful tools in the fight against climate change and water scarcity.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences emphasized how these frameworks provide „new opportunities for solving some of the challenges we face,” comparing their storage capacity to „Hermione’s handbag in Harry Potter” for their ability to contain massive amounts of gas in minimal volumes. Professor Kitagawa expressed his vision to use these materials for air separation and conversion into useful substances using renewable energy, highlighting the technology’s potential for sustainable development. The three professors—Kitagawa from Kyoto University, Robson from the University of Melbourne, and Yaghi from UC Berkeley—will share the prestigious award’s 11 million Swedish crown prize ($1.2 million).
This chemistry award continues the 2025 Nobel Prize announcements, following earlier recognitions in medicine and physics. The prizes, established through Alfred Nobel’s 1895 will, have celebrated scientific achievements since 1901, with chemistry particularly honoring discoveries that have transformed modern science, including nuclear fission and DNA sequencing. Last year’s chemistry prize recognized advances in protein structure decoding, continuing the tradition of celebrating research with significant practical applications. The development of metal-organic frameworks represents another milestone in this legacy, offering tangible solutions to some of humanity’s most pressing environmental problems through innovative molecular engineering.
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Forrás: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/trio-win-nobel-chemistry-prize-104321456.html.