MOFs: From Their Origins to the Nobel Prize

 

The term metal organic frameworks (MOFS was coined by Omar M. Yaghi in 1994, who later became the leading figure in the field. However, it was Richard Robson who had already laid the conceptual foundations for these structures back in 1989.

Later, in 1997, Susumu Kitagawa demonstrated the practical functionality of MOFs by showing their ability to store methane. 

These pioneering works in the field led to the synthesis of tens of thousands of compounds with promising applications.

For these achievements, the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Omar M. Yaghi, Richard Robson, and Susumu Kitagawain recognition of their major contributions to the discovery of metal–organic frameworks.

But what exactly are these frameworks, and what are they used for?

MOFs are materials in which metal ions or clusters are linked by organic molecules, forming a regular, repeating pattern that creates a three-dimensional network. A key feature of these materials is that large cavities form in the space between the metallic nodes and the organic linkers, making them highly porous. Yaghi once noted that just one gram of a MOF can have an internal surface area roughly equivalent to two American football fields.

MOFs possess unique properties such as high surface area, low density, high flexibility, and tunable pore functionality, which make them suitable for a wide range of applications.

For instance, due to their high porosity, MOFs have been studied for hydrogen and methane storage. MOF-177, for example, has been reported to store up to 7.5 wt% hydrogen. They have also been used for CO₂ capture and nitrogen adsorption.

The use of MOFs has expanded into the biomedical field, particularly for drug delivery. Compared with other materials, they offer several advantages: adjustable pore size, high drug-loading capacity, and the ability to functionalize pore surfaces. For example, the MOFs MIL-53(Fe) and MIL-53(Cr) have been shown to store up to 17.4% ibuprofen with a prolonged release time of 21 days.

Their application has also been explored in lithium-ion battery (LIB) electrodes. Commercial LIBs typically use graphite anodes, which have a maximum capacity of 372 mAh/g. In comparison, a composite material consisting of magnetite (Fe₃O₄) particles encapsulated by the MOF HKUST-1 demonstrated a capacity of 1001.5 mAh/g — higher than that of pure magnetite (696 mAh/g) and graphite.

MOFs exhibit exceptional properties and remarkable versatility, as evidenced by their use across a wide variety of fields and technological devices. The numerous advances in their study and development were, without a doubt, the reason behind this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

For more information: Chemistry Nobel Prize