The Nobel Committee's announcement puts the spotlight on three references in materials chemistrySusumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi. Their work has given rise to a family of porous composites capable of doing things that only recently seemed like science fiction.
These structures, known as MOFs, allow create enormous internal spaces on a molecular scale in which substances are captured, separated, or transformed. From capturing carbon dioxide to extracting water from the air in desert areas, their versatility has been a game-changer.
Who are the winners and what have they contributed?
Richard Robson paved the way in 1989 with crystalline frames with diamond-like geometry, made by linking metal ions with four-armed organic molecules. These networks offered immense voids, although they suffered from instability.
In the early 90s, Susumu Kitagawa demonstrated that gases could enter and leave these materials and anticipated that flexible versions could be designed, capable of responding to the environment as if they were a molecular spring.
Omar M. Yaghi consolidated the field in the mid-90s: he coined the term MOF and introduced extraordinarily stable structuresIn 1999, with the landmark MOF-5, he demonstrated that it was possible to combine enormous pores with unusual thermal robustness.
The jury emphasizes that the three winners have created “new spaces for chemistry”, offering a methodology that allows pore size and functionality to be adjusted with a high degree of control. They will share a grant of 11 million Swedish kronor.
What are MOFs and what are they for?
MOFs are three-dimensional networks where metal ions act as knots and long organic molecules as ligands, forming crystals with giant cavities inside. These cavities house, separate, or guide molecules as needed.
With the isoreticular design, the community has built tens of thousands of variants: the metal is changed, the ligand is fine-tuned, or a specific chemical function is introduced to “program” the material.
The most repeated image to describe them is that of “molecular sponges”: very porous, with a huge internal surface area. A few grams of a well-designed MOF is equivalent, in internal area, to something as large as a football field.
This architecture allows for uses already tested in laboratory and pilot: CO2 capture, hydrogen storage or methane, containment of toxic gases, catalyzing reactions or filtering persistent organic pollutants (such as PFAS) from water.
- Atmospheric water harvesting: hydrophilic MOFs they trap steam at night and they release it with the sun.
- Emission control: commercial materials already retain CO2 in industrial currents.
- Health and Environment: Some MOFs encapsulate enzymes or break down traces of drugs.
- Energy: certain families facilitate secure storage of combustible gases.
Experts consulted agree on its transformative potential: voices from the Nobel Committee highlight unprecedented opportunities to manufacture custom materials, while researchers in Spain highlight its impact on carbon capture and biomedical applications.
Research has advanced with milestones such as MOF-5 and “reticular chemistry”, and today designs with magnetic, electrical or optical properties and even the support of artificial intelligence are being explored to invent new structures.
The industry is already testing MOF-based solutions for semiconductors, water purification or neutralization of harmful gases, while pilot plants grow and investment is made to scale up these materials.
After three decades of progress, the field has gone from initial fragility to stable and designable platforms, capable of responding to climate, energy and environmental challenges with previously unthinkable solutions.
The Nobel Prize winner's decision recognizes a paradigm shift: build matter as if it were custom-made scaffolding, combining the best of coordination chemistry and organic chemistry to open up a growing space for innovation.
