Nobel Chemistry Breakthrough Absorbs Gases Like ‘Harry Potter’ Magic/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Three scientists earned the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing metal–organic frameworks capable of trapping gases, including carbon dioxide. The discovery, compared to Hermione’s magical handbag, offers promising applications for climate change and pollution. The breakthrough holds vast potential in water purification and environmental cleanup.
Nobel-Winning Discovery Quick Looks
- 2025 Nobel Chemistry Prize awarded for gas-absorbing frameworks
- Scientists: Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, Omar M. Yaghi
- Frameworks trap CO₂ and purify water from pollutants
- Work began in 1989 and built collaboratively
- Discovery likened to “magical handbag” for storage capacity
- Frameworks can tackle “forever chemicals” in water systems
- Research has climate, environmental, and industrial applications
- Reactions from laureates range from disbelief to gratitude
- Award ceremony set for December 10 in Stockholm
- Continues a week of prestigious Nobel Prize announcements
Deep Look: Nobel-Winning Chemistry Discovery Traps Gases Like a ‘Magical Handbag’
STOCKHOLM — In a groundbreaking scientific recognition, three chemists have won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their pioneering development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) — innovative molecular structures that can absorb vast amounts of gases and pollutants, despite appearing small on the outside.
The Nobel Committee honored Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for this transformative work, likening the frameworks to Hermione Granger’s enchanted handbag from the “Harry Potter” series — deceptively compact, yet capable of holding large volumes within.
“These frameworks might seem small, but they can store incredibly large quantities, just like that magical bag,” said Olof Ramström, a member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.
What Are Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs)?
MOFs are intricate structures composed of metal ions connected by organic molecules. This creates an internal architecture full of cavities and tunnels, allowing the material to “trap” gases like carbon dioxide, purify water, or even extract moisture from desert air.
The comparison to house framing is apt: like wooden beams that form the skeletal structure of a home, MOFs provide a scaffold that supports advanced chemical functionality. These frameworks open new possibilities in materials science, offering tailor-made structures that can be fine-tuned for specific tasks.
Why This Discovery Matters
According to Heiner Linke, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, MOFs have ushered in a new era of customizable materials.
“They bring previously unforeseen opportunities,” he stated, “including tools to fight pollution, capture greenhouse gases, and eliminate toxic chemicals from water.”
One key application lies in the removal of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — a group of persistent pollutants often referred to as “forever chemicals.” These toxic compounds have contaminated water, soil, and air around the world. MOFs offer a promising method for trapping and removing these dangerous substances.
The Collaborative Journey Behind the Nobel
Although working independently, Kitagawa, Robson, and Yaghi advanced each other’s discoveries in sequence. Robson, now 88 and based at the University of Melbourne, initiated the field’s foundation in 1989. Kitagawa, 74, of Kyoto University in Japan, and Yaghi, 60, from the University of California, Berkeley, expanded on those early frameworks, refining the structures and broadening their applications.
Each chemist contributed uniquely to turning MOFs from theoretical constructs into functional materials now used in experimental environmental technologies.
How the Laureates Reacted
Kitagawa, speaking from Kyoto, said he nearly dismissed the Nobel Committee’s call as telemarketing.
“It was such a big prize, so I thought, ‘Is it really true?’” he recalled. “Only when an expert offered congratulations did I feel it was real.”
He expressed satisfaction that their research, while already widely recognized in the scientific community, was finally reaching broader public awareness.
“It is very difficult to gain understanding by the ordinary people, and I’m delighted to be recognized.”
Robson, reacting from his home in Melbourne, said he was both honored and surprised.
“This is a major thing that happens late in life when I’m not really in a condition to withstand it all,” he joked. “But here we are.”
Yaghi, a leading voice in nanochemistry, called the honor “a dream fulfilled.”
Building on a Strong Nobel Legacy
This chemistry prize follows a legacy of innovative science recognized by the Nobel Committee. The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper for using artificial intelligence to design new proteins — a discovery with profound implications for drug development and synthetic biology.
Earlier this week, other 2025 Nobel awards were announced:
- Medicine: Awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Dr. Shimon Sakaguchi for their discovery of peripheral immune tolerance, a finding that could improve autoimmune disease treatments.
- Physics: Given to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for their work on quantum tunneling, contributing to next-generation computing.
What’s Next in the Nobel Week?
- Literature Prize: Thursday
- Peace Prize: Friday
- Economic Sciences: Next Monday
The Nobel Prize ceremony will be held on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. Nobel, a Swedish industrialist and inventor of dynamite, founded the prize to recognize achievements that benefit humanity.
A Prize for the Planet
The 2025 Chemistry Nobel not only honors technical excellence but also points toward a future of cleaner air, safer water, and powerful tools to fight the climate crisis. The molecular magic hidden inside these tiny frameworks could become one of the most potent scientific tools of our generation.
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