Nobel Prize in Chemistry Awarded for Revolutionary ‘MOF’ Material Growth
Stockholm, Sweden – Teh 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded too Richard Robson, Susumu Kitagawa, and Omar Yaghi for their groundbreaking work in the development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), materials poised to revolutionize gas storage, separation, and catalysis. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences recognized their pioneering contributions to creating porous, cage-like structures with immense potential for addressing global challenges in energy, environmental sustainability, and materials science.
Inspired by the ordered structure of diamonds in the late 1980s,Richard Robson of the University of melbourne first conceived of using metal ions connected by organic molecules to build similar lattices. While diamond lattices have small voids, these metal-organic lattices offered the possibility of much larger, tunable spaces. This foundational idea sparked decades of research culminating in materials with unprecedented surface areas and functionalities.
MOFs are essentially crystalline materials built from metal ions or clusters coordinated to organic molecules, forming a repeating, porous network. These structures possess an exceptionally high surface area – just a few grams, roughly the size of a sugar cube, can contain as much surface area as a large football field (thousands of square meters), according to Olof Ramström of the Nobel Committee. This vast surface area makes MOFs ideal for capturing, storing, and releasing gases.
Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University built upon Robson’s work by creating a MOF stable enough to be dried without collapsing, allowing its cavities to be filled with gases. “He showed that the lattice was able to absorb and release the gases,” Ramström stated.Kitagawa further developed MOFs that dynamically change shape upon gas absorption or release.
Omar Yaghi from the University of california-Berkeley significantly enhanced MOF stability by utilizing clusters of metal ions,specifically zinc and oxygen linked by carboxylate-containing molecules. Yaghi also demonstrated that employing longer organic “coupling” molecules could enlarge the voids within the MOF structure, tailoring the material for specific applications. His MOFs remain stable up to 300 degrees Celsius.
The field has experienced rapid growth in recent years, with new MOFs emerging almost daily, signaling a bright future for these versatile materials. Potential applications range from carbon capture and storage to hydrogen fuel storage, efficient gas separation, and advanced catalytic processes.
