Harvesting water from desert air: What won 3 scientists the Nobel in Chemistry
These constructions, known as metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), can be used to harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gases, or catalyse chemical reactions
The 2025 Nobel Prize laureates in Chemistry have created molecular constructions with large spaces through which gases and other chemicals can flow.
These constructions, known as metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), can be used to harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gases, or catalyse chemical reactions.
Scientists Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for the development of metal–organic frameworks," the award-giving body announced today (8 October).
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The more than century-old prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and the winners will share 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million), along with the prestige of receiving one of the world's most distinguished scientific honours.
Following the laureates' groundbreaking discoveries, chemists have since built tens of thousands of different MOFs.
Some of these could help solve some of humankind's greatest challenges, with applications that include separating PFAS from water, breaking down traces of pharmaceuticals in the environment, capturing carbon dioxide, and harvesting water from desert air.
"The laureates created molecular constructions with large spaces through which gases and other chemicals can flow," the Committee said. "These constructions, metal–organic frameworks, can be used to harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gases, or catalyse chemical reactions."
