Reticular Chemistry

Named by Omar Yaghi,  this area of research is concerned with linking of molecular building blocks (organic molecules, inorganic clusters, dendrimers, peptides, proteins, ...) into predetermined structures in which such units are repeated and are held together by strong bonds.

Record-breaking "molecular sponge" pulls carbon from air faster than ever before

February 4, 2026
Bakar Institute of Digital Materials for the Planet (BIDMaP)
A new material developed by BIDMaP researchers captures CO₂ from outdoor air with unprecedented speed, marking a critical leap toward practical direct air capture technology.

AIRES revolutionizes reticular chemistry with rapid, data-driven crystal discovery

December 18, 2025
by Dionne Rossiter , PhD | Science Communications, UC Berkeley
A multi-institution research team has unveiled AIRES, a powerful AI-driven platform designed to dramatically speed up the discovery of new crystalline materials.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry Awarded to Architects of Metal-Organic Frameworks

October 8, 2025
By Alexa Robles-Gil and Ali Watkins | The New York Times
(NY Times) - The prize was awarded to Omar Yaghi, Susumu Kitagawa, and Richard Robson for the development of an architecture that some chemists compare with a molecular sponge.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/science/nobel-prize-chemistry.html

Chemistry Nobel awarded for work on new materials that could help planet

October 8, 2025
by Georgina Rannard | BBC
(BBC) - The Nobel Prize for Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M Yaghi for their work on metal-organic frameworks.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0r0l742kpjo

Molecular discovery that won Nobel Prize in chemistry is likened to ‘Harry Potter’ enchanted handbag

October 8, 2025
By Kostya Manenkov, Stefanie Dazio and Christina Larson | LA Times
(LA Times) - Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for their development of metal-organic frameworks that could eventually help reduce pollution and combat climate change. Photo courtesy of Atoco.
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-10-08/molecular-discovery-that-w…

UC Berkeley’s Omar Yaghi shares 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

October 8, 2025
By Robert Sanders | Berkeley News
Yaghi created a field called reticular chemistry, which involves stitching together molecular building blocks to form porous structures — metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) — with myriad applications.

University of California sets world record with five Nobel Prizes in one week

October 10, 2025
By Aidin Vaziri, Staff Writer | SF Chronicle
(SF Chronicle) The University of California made history this week, as its faculty and alumni won five Nobel Prizes across medicine, physics and chemistry — the most ever awarded to a single institution in one year. Photo: ©Nobel Prize Outreach, Clément Morin.

Omar Yaghi shares the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

October 8, 2025
Press Release | College of Chemistry
(College of Chemistry, UC Berkeley) The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm Sweden have named Yaghi one of the 2025 Nobel laureates in Chemistry.
https://news.berkeley.edu/2025/10/08/uc-berkeleys-omar-yaghi-shares-2025-nobel-p…

Trio win Nobel chemistry prize for work on 'Hermione's handbag' materials

October 8, 2025
By Johan Ahlander, Niklas Pollard and Marie Mannes | Reuters
(Reuters) - Scientists Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi won the 2025 Nobel chemistry prize for developing a new form of molecular architecture, yielding materials that can help tackle challenges such as climate change and lack of fresh water.
https://www.reuters.com/science/kitagawa-robson-yaghi-win-2025-nobel-prize-chemi…

Research on metal-organic frameworks gets the chemistry Nobel Prize

October 8, 2025
by The Associated Press
(The Associated Press/NPR) - Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for their development of metal–organic frameworks that could eventually help reduce pollution and combat climate change. (Photo credit: Nobel Prize, Clement Morin)
https://www.npr.org/2025/10/08/g-s1-92461/nobel-prize-chemistry-metal-organic-fr…