2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry honors Kitagawa, Robson, and Yaghi for metal-organic frameworks with wide environmental and scientific uses.

Syllabus: Awards and Honours (UPSC GS Prelims)
Source: NDTV

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi.
The prize recognizes their development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) — advanced materials with wide-ranging applications.
The award was announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
The three winners will share 11 million Swedish crowns (approx. ₹10 crore) in prize money.

MOFs are structures made from metal ions and organic molecules.
They have large surface areas and can be tailored for specific purposes.
Key uses include:
- Capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂)
- Harvesting water from dry air
- Storing toxic gases
- Catalyzing chemical reactions
According to Heiner Linke, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, MOFs offer “unforeseen opportunities for custom-made materials with new functions.”

Susumu Kitagawa (Japan)
- Professor at Kyoto University.
- Holds a PhD in hydrocarbon chemistry.
- Recipient of the Humboldt Research Prize (2008) and the De Gennes Prize.
Richard Robson (UK–Australia)
- Studied chemistry at Oxford University.
- Currently teaches at the University of Melbourne.
Omar M. Yaghi (Jordan–USA)
- Born in Amman, Jordan.
- PhD from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

In 2024, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to David Baker, John Jumper, and Demis Hassabis for their work on AI-based protein structure prediction.
The Nobel Prize for Literature and Peace Prize will follow later this week.

The 2025 Chemistry Nobel highlights how metal-organic frameworks can revolutionize fields like clean energy, environmental protection, and sustainable chemistry.
This achievement represents a major step toward creating materials that serve both scientific progress and global sustainability.