Nobel Prize in Chemistry Celebrates 3 Researchers for Innovative Studies on Metal-Organic Frameworks
This year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry goes to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M Yaghi for their foundational research on metal-organic frameworks.
The scientists' research could be applied to solve numerous pressing worldwide challenges, such as CO2 capture to address climate change or minimizing plastic waste through advanced chemistry.
“It’s a profound honor and pleasure, thank you,” said Prof. Kitagawa via a call with the press briefing subsequent to learning the decision.
“How long do I have to stay here? Because I have to go out for a meeting,” Professor Kitagawa continued.
The three recipients will share prize money amounting to 11 mln SEK (about £872k).
Structural Design at the Core of the Discovery
The scientists' work involves how molecular units can be assembled together into intricate networks. Award organizers described it as “molecular architecture”.
The professors developed methods to create structures with considerable gaps among the molecules, enabling gases and other chemicals to pass within them.
Such structures are known as metal-organic frameworks.
This declaration was presented by the Swedish scientific body in a news conference in the Swedish capital.
Susumu Kitagawa works at the University of Kyoto in Japan, Prof. Robson works for the University of Melbourne in the Australian continent, and Prof. Yaghi is connected to the California University in the USA.
Earlier Nobel Recipients in Science Categories
Last year, three other scientists won the award for their studies on protein structures, which are fundamental elements of life.
This is the third scientific prize given in the current week. Earlier this week, John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis received the Physics Nobel for their work on subatomic physics that paved the way for the advancement of the quantum computing system.
At the start of the week, three scientists work on how the immune system targets pathogens secured them the prize for physiology.
One recipient, Dr Fred Ramsdell, missed the news for 20 hours because he was on an disconnected trek.
