Citation: Zhe Ji, Guangxu Lan, Jiangnan Li, Sihai Yang. A New Protocol to Construct Molecular Materials: A Brief Introduction on the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry[J]. University Chemistry, ;2025, 40(12): 70-77. doi: 10.12461/PKU.DXHX202511097 shu

A New Protocol to Construct Molecular Materials: A Brief Introduction on the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China

Corresponding author: Zhe Ji, Guangxu Lan, Jiangnan Li, Sihai Yang,
Received Date: 14 November 2025
Revised Date: 20 November 2025

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three notable inorganic chemists—Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi—in recognition of their groundbreaking contributions to the establishment of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs). MOFs are crystalline materials constructed by the precise assembly of metal nodes and organic ligands via coordination bonds, resulting in frameworks with exceptionally high specific surface areas, permanent porosity and ability to insert functional groups in a periodic manner. This unique architecture endows them with tremendous potential for applications in gas storage, separation and catalysis. This article reviews the development of MOFs from conceptual inception to material maturity, elucidates their key structural features and underlying synthetic philosophy, and briefly highlights the foundational contributions of Chinese scientists to this field.
- MOFs,
- Coordination chemistry,
- Crystal engineering,
- Porous materials,
- Gas sorption
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