Chemistry Nobel Prize Awarded for Breakthroughs in metal-organic Frameworks
Stockholm, Sweden – The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa (japan), Richard Robson (Australia), and Omar Yaghi (USA) for thier pioneering work in developing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the prize in Stockholm today, recognizing the researchers’ creation of molecular structures with expansive cavities capable of capturing and manipulating gases and chemicals.
These MOFs, described as “metal-organic scaffolding connections,” hold immense potential for a variety of applications. They can be utilized to extract water from even the driest air, capture carbon dioxide, filter out harmful gases, and catalyze chemical reactions.
Heiner Linke, chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, highlighted the importance of the discovery, stating that MOFs ”have enormous potential and have previously opened unimagined opportunities for tailor-made materials with new functions.” He specifically cited potential applications in removing pollutants like PFAS from water and reducing pharmaceutical traces in the habitat.
Susumu kitagawa, born in Kyoto in 1951, continues his research there. Omar Yaghi, aged 60, hails from Jordan and conducts his work at the University of California. Richard Robson, the oldest of the three laureates at 88, is based in Melbourne.
The prize, totaling eleven million Swedish crowns (approximately one million euros), will be shared equally among the three researchers.
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to 195 individuals, with two recipients honored twice. To date, eight women have received the award, including marie Curie in 1911 for her discovery of polonium and radium, and Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna in 2020 for their growth of gene-editing technology.
Last year’s Chemistry Nobel Prize was jointly awarded to David Baker (USA) for computer-aided protein design,and Demis Hassabis and John Jumper (both Great Britain) for their work predicting protein structures.
The announcement of this year’s Nobel Prizes began with the award in Medicine, recognizing Shimon Sakaguchi (Japan), Mary Brunkow, and Fred Ramsdell (both USA) for their research on the immune system and its potential for new treatments for diseases like cancer and autoimmune disorders. The Nobel Prize in Physics was then awarded to John Clarke, Michel Divvoret, and John Martinis for their work demonstrating quantum behavior in macroscopic structures, paving the way for advancements in quantum computing.
The Nobel Prizes for Literature and Peace will be announced on Thursday and Friday, respectively, culminating with the economic Nobel Prize on Monday. The formal award ceremony will be held on December 10th, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.The Right Livelihood Awards, often considered an “option Nobel Prize,” were announced earlier this year on October 1st in Stockholm.