STOCKHOLM — Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for their development of metal–organic frameworks that could eventually help reduce pollution and combat climate change. A member of the Nobel committee likened the discovery to Hermione Granger's seemingly bottomless enchanted handbag in the fictional "Harry Potter" series, in that the frameworks may look small from the outside, but are able to hold surprisingly vast quantities within them.

The Nobel Committee said Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi were being awarded for "groundbreaking discoveries," saying "some of these may contribute to solving some of humankind's greatest challenges."

From capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or sucking water out of dry desert air, the trio's new form

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