The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi for their contributions to the discovery of metal–organic frameworks, better known as MOFs. The porous structures made of metals allow chemical reactions to be carried out by organic materials.
Research into producing MOFs began with Robson in 1989 with the production of porous crystals using copper ions and chemical groups that are attracted to copper molecules. However, this structure is not stable.
Kitagawa then showed that gases can flow in and out of MOFs with a flexible structure. Finally, Yaghi produced MOFs that are stable and can be modified to provide desired properties.
MOFs can be built from a variety of metals, allowing chemists to use them to capture or store certain compounds that can then produce chemical reactions and conduct electricity. It is now used to capture toxic gases, produce water from air in deserts and separate persistent chemicals (PFAS) from water.