Omar Yaghi, a chemist at the University of California, Berkeley, has been named a co-recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He shares the award with Richard Robson from the University of Melbourne and Susumu Kitagawa from Kyoto University. The Nobel committee recognized their work on developing "molecular constructions with large spaces through which gases and other chemicals can flow." These structures, known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), have potential uses in harvesting water from desert air, capturing carbon dioxide, storing toxic gases, and catalyzing chemical reactions.

Yaghi is now the 28th faculty member from UC Berkeley to receive a Nobel Prize and marks the fifth such honor for the university in five years. Other recent laureates include John Clarke (Physics, 2025), David Card (Economic Sciences, 2021), Jennifer Doudna (Chemistry, 2020), and Reinhard Genzel (Physics, 2020).

Upon learning of his award during a stopover en route to Brussels for a conference, Yaghi said: “As I landed, I saw there was nothing on my phone, and then I got a call.” He spoke with a member of the Nobel committee while surrounded by travelers. “There is nothing like this, it’s an astonishment,” he said. Receiving the prize “is a feeling you don’t have often.”

Since news of the prize broke, Yaghi has been busy responding to messages and preparing for a scientific session at his conference.

Yaghi's work in the 1990s led to combining metals with organic molecules to create hybrid compounds featuring highly porous crystal structures that can absorb and release gases and vapors efficiently. These MOFs are structurally stable and customizable for different applications by varying their metal components or organic linkers.

To date, over 100,000 distinct MOF structures have been created for various uses such as carbon dioxide capture from industrial emissions or methane storage for fuel tanks. Some MOFs developed by Yaghi's team can also store hydrogen—a possible energy source for future vehicles.

In recent years, Yaghi's research has produced MOFs capable of extracting water directly from low-humidity air. This innovation led to commercial devices that harvest up to five liters of water per day in arid environments. In addition to founding companies focused on water harvesting and climate change mitigation using MOFs, Yaghi pioneered other porous materials—covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs)—which could aid in clean energy storage and delivery.

Yaghi holds several academic positions at UC Berkeley including James and Neeltje Tretter Chair in Chemistry and co-director roles at both the Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute and other interdisciplinary centers.

He describes his field as "reticular chemistry," which involves assembling molecular building blocks into crystalline structures via strong bonds. His early inspiration came after earning his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under Walter Klemperer’s mentorship.

Initially met with skepticism by some peers, Yaghi persisted with support from fellow chemists as he moved through academic posts at Arizona State University, University of Michigan, UCLA, and eventually UC Berkeley in 2012.

A notable property of MOFs is their vast internal surface area—up to 10,000 square meters per gram—which allows them to adsorb significant volumes of gas. Their modular design means they can be tailored for specific uses including catalysis or gas separation.

The field continues to expand rapidly; scientific publications on MOFs increase annually without signs of slowing down. Many companies are now researching practical applications ranging from chemical storage safety to advanced catalysis techniques.

In addition to research achievements—such as being among the most cited chemists worldwide—Yaghi was appointed scientific director in 2022 of UC Berkeley’s Bakar Institute of Digital Materials for the Planet. The institute aims to use artificial intelligence for developing new materials addressing climate challenges.

He also leads global outreach efforts as founding director of the Berkeley Global Science Institute. This organization helps establish research centers internationally to provide opportunities for emerging scientists across multiple countries.

Anne Baranger, interim dean of UC Berkeley’s College of Chemistry said: “Professor Yaghi doesn’t end with groundbreaking science of both a basic and practical nature, but he combines this with the desire to mentor and outreach also on a global scale...to really bring up the best and brightest...across the entire world.”

Born in Amman, Jordan in 1965 to Palestinian refugee parents—and later immigrating alone as a teenager to study in New York—Yaghi completed undergraduate studies at SUNY Albany before earning his doctorate in chemistry. His career includes faculty appointments at several major universities before joining UC Berkeley where he also directed Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Molecular Foundry until 2013.

UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons remarked: “Omar’s story is the quintessential American story...leading up to [the] extraordinary recognition conferred by this Nobel Prize was boatloads of hard work...dedication...creativity...[and] collaboration...These are things Nobel prizes are made of...and define UC Berkeley.”

UC President James B. Milliken added: “This award is a testament to Professor Yaghi’s determination and world-leading expertise...demonstrating once again the power of research…”

Among numerous honors received by Yaghi are election into national academies around the world; major prizes such as Germany’s August Wilhelm von Hofmann Denkmünze gold medal (2020), Royal Society Sustainable Water Award (2020), Wolf Prize in Chemistry (2018), King Faisal International Prize (2015), VinFuture Prize (2021), Tang Prize in Sustainable Development (2024), Von Hippel Award (2025), among others.

Yaghi resides in Berkeley.