Chemistry Nobel Award Celebrates Three Experts for Innovative Research on Framework Materials
The Nobel Prize in the field of chemistry has been awarded to three distinguished scientists for their seminal research on MOFs.
The scientists' research has potential to tackle numerous significant worldwide issues, including CO2 capture to combat global warming or minimizing synthetic debris through advanced chemistry.
“I'm deeply honoured and delighted, thank you very much,” remarked the Japanese scientist during a telephone conversation to the media event after receiving the news.
“How much time must I spend here? I need to leave for a scheduled meeting,” the laureate added.
The three winners will share award funds amounting to 11 mln SEK (about £872k).
Molecular Architecture at the Center of their Breakthrough
The researchers' studies focuses on how molecular units can be assembled together into complex frameworks. The selection panel referred to it as “molecular design”.
These scientists devised approaches to build structures with large voids amid the units, enabling different compounds to flow within them.
Such structures are known as MOFs.
The declaration was made by the academic institution during a media briefing in the Swedish capital.
Prof. Kitagawa is based at Kyoto University in the Asian nation, Professor Richard Robson is associated with the Melbourne University in the Australian continent, and Prof. Yaghi is at the UC in the United States.
Earlier Nobel Laureates in Scientific Categories
In the previous year, three other scientists were granted the award for their work on protein structures, which are essential building blocks of biological systems.
It is the third scientific prize awarded in the current week. On Tuesday, three physicists received the Physics Nobel for their work on subatomic physics that facilitated the development of the quantum processor.
Earlier, 3 experts' studies on how the immune system attacks harmful microbes earned them the award for physiology.
One winner, Dr. Ramsdell, missed the news for nearly a day because he was on an disconnected hiking trip.
