Omar Yaghi Wins 2025 Chemistry Nobel Prize for MOFs
Omar M. Yaghi has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with Susumu Kitagawa (Japan) and Richard Robson (Australia) for their work on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences credits their contribution with creating molecular structures that allow gases and other chemicals to move through defined porous networks.
Yaghi holds citizenship in Jordan, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. He was born in Amman in 1965 to Palestinian parents.
He earned his B.S. in chemistry from the State University of New York at Albany, following initial studies at Hudson Valley Community College, and then completed his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
BREAKING NEWS
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 8, 2025
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2025 #NobelPrize in Chemistry to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi “for the development of metal–organic frameworks.” pic.twitter.com/IRrV57ObD6
What are MOFs and Why They Matter?
Metal-organic frameworks are crystalline materials composed of metal ion clusters connected by organic linkers, forming networks with very large internal surface areas. Through variation in the building blocks, MOFs can be tailored to perform specific tasks such as gas capture, catalysis, water harvesting, or storage of toxic substances.
Yaghi’s lab has demonstrated MOFs that extract water from dry air, capture CO₂, and transform pollutants.
One example: a small porous structure, roughly the size of a sugar cube, can contain as much internal surface area as a large football field.
Personal Journey & Broader Implications
Yaghi’s early life was marked by hardship. He grew up in Amman in conditions without running water or electricity, often collecting water in limited windows when it was available.
He moved to the United States at age 15, with little understanding of the English language, and worked his way through community college and university.
The win has multiple symbolic effects:
It underlines how scientific innovation can emerge from challenging circumstances.
For the Arab world, this is seen as a recognition of talent that often lacks infrastructure and visibility.
For climate, energy, and resource policy, the promise of MOFs adds weight to materials science as a strategic field in dealing with urgent global problems like water scarcity and greenhouse gas emissions.
Challenges Ahead
MOFs have been researched for years, but moving from lab to real-world deployment remains difficult. Scaling up production cost-effectively, ensuring stability under diverse environmental conditions, and integrating them into infrastructure (water harvesting, carbon capture etc.) are nontrivial engineering and economic challenges.
Yaghi’s group has already worked on robust versions of MOFs that resist degradation, but widespread adoption will require continued investment.
What This Prize Signals for Science Ecosystems?
Yaghi’s recognition reflects strengths in multiple areas:
Public higher education institutions in the U.S. played central roles in his education and early career.
Collaboration across disciplines (organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, materials science) is crucial.
National and institutional support, including recognition by Saudi Arabia when Yaghi was granted citizenship in 2021, ties into broader strategies to attract scientific talent.
Omar Yaghi’s Nobel award signals more than personal achievement. It highlights how carefully engineered materials can address real physical constraints (water supply, air quality, emissions).
Scientific advances like these will likely shape policy, funding priorities, and industrial strategies in the years ahead.
