STOCKHOLM — Scientists Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi won the 2025 Nobel chemistry prize for developing a new form of molecular architecture, yielding materials that can help tackle challenges such as climate change and lack of fresh water.

The three laureates worked to create molecular constructions, known as metal-organic frameworks or MOFs, with large spaces through which gases and other chemicals can flow and that can be utilised to harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide or store toxic gases.

Describing the “unheard of properties” of these materials, the award committee said some had a remarkably large surface area – a porous material roughly the size of a sugar cube could contain as much surface area as a football pitch.

“A small amount of such materi

See Full Page