MOFs / COFs

COFs and their cousin materials, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), are porous three-dimensional crystals with extraordinarily large internal surface areas that can absorb and store enormous quantities of targeted molecules. Invented by UC Berkeley's Professor Omar Yaghi, COFs and MOFs consist of molecules (organics for COFs and metal-organics for MOFs) that are stitched into large and extended netlike frameworks whose structures are held together by strong chemical bonds. Such frameworks show great promise for, among other applications, carbon sequestration.

Yaghi wins Mustafa Scientific Prize

January 5, 2016

Omar Yahgi. Photo by Lawrence Berkeley Nat'l Lab - Roy Kaltschmidt, photographer

Photo courtesy Lawrence Berkeley Nat'l Lab - Roy Kaltschmidt, photographer.

Chemistry professor Omar Yaghi has won an inaugural Mustafa Scientific Prize, awarded by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states. The award ceremony was...

Omar Yaghi wins inaugural 2025 IUPAC-Soong Prize for Sustainable Chemistry

April 17, 2025
Omar Yaghi wins prestigious inaugural award for his groundbreaking work in reticular chemistry

Berkeley’s ecosystem of innovation, entrepreneurship combats climate change

May 16, 2024
UC Berkeley faculty are fast-tracking the development of new and creative climate solutions.

Institute brings together scientists to design pollution-adsorbing materials

December 12, 2024
The Baker Hughes Institute for Decarbonization Materials has launched to support Berkeley researchers working to pull chemicals from industrial emission streams and the atmosphere.

Breakthrough in capturing ‘hot’ CO2 from industrial exhaust

November 14, 2024
A metal-organic framework, or MOF, is capable of capturing CO2 at extreme temperatures.

Omar Yaghi awarded 2024 Balzan Prize

September 9, 2024
Professor Omar M. Yaghi was awarded the 2024 Balzan Prize by the International Balzan Prize Foundation.

Capturing carbon from the air just got easier

October 23, 2024
A new type of porous material called a covalent organic framework quickly sucks up CO2 from ambient air.

Omar Yaghi featured in Time.com article on climate change

September 11, 2023
In a Times.com article entitled 'A World Renowned Chemist Wants to Suck Water, and Carbon, Out of the Air', Omar Yaghi discusses his MOF water harvesting technology and his company Atoco.

New institute brings together chemistry and machine learning to tackle climate change

September 21, 2022

Portrait of Omar Yaghi

Professor Omar Yaghi in his office. Photo College of Chemistry.

Imagine a technology that could remove planet-warming emissions from smokestacks, turn moisture in the air into drinking water and transform carbon dioxide into clean energy.

A new UC Berkeley institute will bring together top machine learning and chemistry researchers to make this vision a reality, and a Bay Area...

Omar Yaghi awarded the Wilhelm Exner medal

June 1, 2023

Exner medal ceremony

Professor Omar Yaghi receives a medal and diploma from members of the Wilhelm Exner Foundation during a banquet in May 2023 in Vienna, Austria. Photo Jana Madzigon, courtesy of the Wilhelm Exner Foundation.

Omar Yaghi, the James and Neeltje Tretter Professor of Chemistry and director of the Berkeley...