Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025
Contents
Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025: Winners, Their Contribution, and Past Laureates
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for their groundbreaking development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)—porous crystalline materials with vast potential for environmental, industrial, and technological applications. Over the last five years, Nobel honors in chemistry have consistently celebrated innovations shaping fields as diverse as quantum nanotechnology, protein engineering, and chemical biology.
Nobel Prize 2025 in Chemistry: Winners and Their Contributions
The Laureates
Susumu Kitagawa (Kyoto University, Japan)
Richard Robson (University of Melbourne, Australia)
Omar M. Yaghi (University of California, Berkeley, USA)
Their Groundbreaking Work
The trio was honored “for the development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)”—a new class of molecular architectures featuring crystalline structures with large internal cavities. These frameworks are created by linking metal ions with extended organic molecules, resulting in highly porous materials. MOFs possess enormous internal surface area and can be tailored to adsorb or transport specific molecules. This innovation offers significant advantages for:
Environmental solutions: MOFs can extract water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, and remove pollutants from water.
Industrial applications: They facilitate gas storage (hydrogen, toxic gases) and enhance catalysis for chemical reactions.
Conductivity and separation: Some MOFs can conduct electricity or be designed to selectively separate substances.
The development journey began with Robson’s initial discovery in 1989; Kitagawa improved MOF flexibility, and Yaghi introduced rational design principles for greater stability and customization. Their collaborative and sequential advances transformed MOFs from a theoretical idea to practical materials with major global impact.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Last Five Years Winners & Their Contributions
| Year | Laureates | Contribution & Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, Omar M. Yaghi | Development of Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs): Innovative porous materials for gas storage, pollution control, and water harvesting. |
| 2024 | David Baker; Demis Hassabis, John Jumper | Computational Protein Design & Protein Structure Prediction: Baker engineered new proteins using computation; Hassabis & Jumper (AlphaFold2) used AI to predict protein structures—transforming medicine, bioscience, and material science. |
| 2023 | Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus, Alexei I. Ekimov | Discovery and Synthesis of Quantum Dots: Nanoscale particles with unique optoelectronic properties; vital for electronics, imaging, solar cells, quantum computing, and biomedicine. |
| 2022 | Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, K. Barry Sharpless | Click Chemistry & Bioorthogonal Chemistry: Efficient, reliable molecular building techniques; “bioorthogonal” reactions enable mapping and targeting of biomolecules in living cells and cancer therapies. |
| 2021 | Benjamin List, David W.C. MacMillan | Asymmetric Organo catalysis: Development of new, sustainable catalysts for precise chemical synthesis—key for pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. |
In recent years, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry has increasingly recognized pioneering advances that blend fundamental molecular science with powerful new technologies. The honored achievements have addressed global challenges—from climate change mitigation (carbon capture, green technology) and medical innovation (AI-driven biology, targeted therapies) to advanced materials (quantum dots, MOFs) that revolutionize industry and research. The laureates have distinguished themselves not only through scientific ingenuity but also by driving progress in sustainability, biocompatibility, and societal benefit.
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry marks a significant milestone in molecular science, with MOFs exemplifying chemistry’s power to design materials that solve pressing environmental and industrial problems. The last five years have showcased the discipline’s dynamic role at the intersection of technology, biology, and sustainability, positioning chemistry as a leading force for global advancement.
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