SNI INSight: What was this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded for? Jonathan de Roo: The prize was awarded for the development of metal-organic frameworks – crystalline materials con- sisting of metal ions or clusters connected by organic ligands. These structures have countless pores and thus a huge internal surface area. This makes them ideal for storing or separating large quantities of gases or liquids. The exciting thing is that by carefully selecting the metal and ligands, it is pos- sible to control the pore size and thus also the functionality and stability of the MOFs. This so-called reticular chemistry therefore allows for rational design – in contrast to the often random synthesis of Significance of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Interview with Jonathan de Roo on metal-organic frame- works (MOFs) On December 10, 2025, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded in Stockholm to Professors Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi. The three researchers were honored for their groundbreaking work on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These highly porous materials consist of metal ions and organic connecting elements (ligands). Due to their immense inner surface area, they can absorb, store or convert large quantities of gases and liquids – with great potential for many applications. In an interview, Professor Jonathan de Roo from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Basel explains what makes MOFs so fascinating and how his group is con- tributing to this research. traction of gold from seawater is being investigated: although the concentra- tions in seawater are low, this is still in- teresting due to the huge amounts of wa- ter involved. In addition, MOFs can serve as cata- lysts. The molecules to be converted bind to metal ions or functional groups in the pores, are activated, and can then un- dergo chemical conversion. It is import- ant that MOFs then release the product and are regenerated so that they can be reused. There are numerous other applica- tions, as MOFs can be designed to selec- tively absorb only certain molecules and, if necessary, release them again. new materials in the past. For example, a MOF can be specifically developed that separates H2 from CO₂ by adjusting the pores precisely to the size of the smaller hydrogen molecule. SNI INSight: Which applications are particularly promising for MOFs? Jonathan de Roo: The possible applica- tions are extremely diverse. One example that is often cited is collecting water from the air in dry regions – the water is stored in the MOF and can be released again by heating. MOFs are also suitable for removing CO₂ or pollutants from the air or filtering heavy metals from water. Even the ex- 4 SNI INSight December 2025