A pioneering Australian-linked scientific breakthrough has earned global recognition, as University of Melbourne Professor Richard Robson shares the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for creating molecular “sponges” capable of capturing water from desert air and trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Robson, a British-born chemist based in Melbourne, was honoured alongside Susumu Kitagawa of Japan and Omar Yaghi of the United States and Jordan for their decades-long collaboration in developing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) — intricate crystal structures that can absorb, store, or filter gases and liquids at a molecular level.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences described their work as “a landmark in material science,” praising the discovery for its applications in water harvesting, carbon capture, pollution control, and even energy storage.
“Imagine solid materials filled with countless microscopic cavities, where molecules can reside and react as needed,” said Hans Ellegren, the Academy’s secretary-general. “These frameworks open entirely new possibilities in chemistry and environmental technology.”
Professor Robson’s initial research in 1989 explored how copper ions could bond in three-dimensional frameworks, creating a crystal “like a diamond full of invisible pores.” While his early models were unstable, Kitagawa and Yaghi later refined the process between 1992 and 2003, building durable and flexible MOFs that could selectively absorb gases.
Kitagawa demonstrated that gases could pass in and out of MOFs, while Yaghi engineered highly stable versions with customisable molecular properties, turning them into practical tools for green technology.
“I’m deeply honoured and delighted that my longstanding research has been recognised,” Kitagawa said from Kyoto, where he continues to teach and lead research on porous materials.
This year’s Chemistry Nobel follows Tuesday’s Physics Prize, which recognised advances in quantum mechanics, and Monday’s Medicine Prize awarded to researchers uncovering the body’s immune “security guards.”
The Nobel awards will culminate with ceremonies in Stockholm and Oslo on December 10, marking the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896. Each laureate receives a gold medal, a diploma, and shares a cash award of A$1.8 million.
For Professor Robson and his colleagues, their discovery represents not just scientific brilliance but also a promise for the planet’s future — offering tools to combat water scarcity, pollution, and climate change through the chemistry of the invisible.
