The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Omar M. Yaghi for his development of metal–organic frameworks and the establishment of reticular chemistry. By utilizing molecular building blocks to construct crystalline materials, he transformed the design of porous solids. This work fundamentally altered how chemists manipulate atomic structures to create robust, functional architectures for industrial and scientific applications.
Early Education and Academic Foundation
Born in Amman, Jordan, in 1965, Yaghi moved to the United States at age 15. He began his studies at Hudson Valley Community College before transferring to the State University of New York at Albany, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1985. He continued his doctoral research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, completing his PhD in 1990. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University, he began his independent academic career at Arizona State University in 1992.
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Yaghi pioneered reticular chemistry, a field focused on linking molecular building blocks into crystalline frameworks via strong bonds. In the early 1990s, he challenged existing scientific consensus by proposing that these structures could be synthesized as stable, crystalline materials rather than amorphous solids. In 1995, he successfully crystallized metal-organic structures using carboxylates, providing the basis for the development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs).
Institutional Leadership and Transitions
Yaghi held professorships at the University of Michigan and the University of California, Los Angeles, before joining the University of California, Berkeley, in 2012. In 2025, he was named a University Professor, the highest honor within the UC system. In July 2026, he relocated to Tsinghua University in China to direct a new laboratory focused on artificial intelligence and material science research, marking a shift in his institutional affiliation.
Advancements in Porous Materials
His research group further advanced the field through the development of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) in 2005. These materials, synthesized via condensation reactions of boronic acids and hexahydroxytriphenylene, exhibit high thermal stability and permanent porosity. Beyond his individual research, Yaghi served as the founding director of the Berkeley Global Science Institute and has been a member of organizations including the National Academy of Sciences and the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
Fast facts
- Born: 1965, Amman
- Citizenship: United States, Jordan, Saudi Arabia
- Field: Chemistry
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry: 2025
- PhD: 1990, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Notable Recognition: Mustafa Prize (2015), Wilhelm Exner Medal (2023)
Questions readers ask
What are metal–organic frameworks?
They are a class of crystalline materials composed of metal ions connected by organic linkers, characterized by permanent porosity and structural robustness.
What is the primary goal of reticular chemistry?
The field focuses on the assembly of molecular building blocks into rigid, open, crystalline frameworks through the use of strong bonds.
Achievements
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry — 2025
- Wolf Prize in Chemistry — 2018
- Held posts at Arizona State University, Tsinghua University and University of California, Berkeley
- Educated at State University of New York at Albany and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Fields of research: organometallic chemistry
