Chemistry Nobel Award Celebrates 3 Researchers for Groundbreaking Work on MOF Structures
This year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M Yaghi for their influential work on metal-organic frameworks.
Their studies may help address some of the pressing planetary challenges, such as CO2 capture to address climate change or curbing plastic waste through innovative chemistry.
“I feel tremendously honored and overjoyed, many thanks,” remarked Prof. Kitagawa via a phone call to the news conference subsequent to learning the news.
“What’s the duration I need to remain? I have an appointment to attend,” the laureate added.
These three laureates will share prize money totaling 11 mln SEK (about £872k).
Molecular Architecture at the Center of their Achievement
Their researchers' work involves how molecular units are structured together into elaborate networks. The Nobel committee described it as “molecular architecture”.
These professors formulated methods to build frameworks with large spaces among the molecules, enabling various substances to travel via them.
These structures are known as metal-organic frameworks.
The declaration was made by the Swedish scientific body at a news conference in Stockholm, Sweden.
Professor Kitagawa is affiliated with Kyoto University in Japan, Professor Richard Robson works for the University of Melbourne in Australia, and Professor Omar M. Yaghi is at the UC in the United States.
Earlier Award Recipients in Science Fields
In the previous year, three other scientists were granted the honor for their studies on protein structures, which are critical elements of life.
This is the 3rd scientific recognition awarded in the current week. Previously, three physicists received the physics award for their contributions on quantum theory that paved the way for the creation of the quantum computer.
Earlier, 3 researchers studies on how the body's defenses attacks pathogens earned them the award for physiology.
A single laureate, Dr. Ramsdell, did not receive the announcement for nearly a day because he was on an disconnected trek.