Three scientists receive Nobel Prize for developing metal-organic framework compounds

Three scientists, Susumu Kitagawa from Kyoto University in Japan, Richard Robson from the University of Melbourne in Australia, and Omar Yaghi from the University of California in Berkeley, USA, have been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of metal-organic framework compounds.

The laureates will share prize money totaling 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately 1.03 million euros).
Commenting on the development of the structures, Heiner Linke, Chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, said: “These new materials contain large internal cavities that allow molecules to enter and exit – similar to rooms in a hotel.”

Metal-organic frameworks have a wide range of applications, such as extracting water from desert air, capturing carbon dioxide, or storing toxic gases.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded since 1901.

(reuters, sie)