Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2025 brought about a revolution in materials engineering and recognized pioneering work that has the potential to significantly impact the global fight against climate change and pollution. The award was received by Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi for creation of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)These innovative materials are referred to as microscopic sponges and can effectively capture key gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen, and even water.

MOFs are unique because of their structure, which resembles a molecular scaffold composed of tiny cavities. This architecture gives them extraordinary porosity. In fact, MOFs are the most porous solid material knownJust a few grams of MOF powder has an internal surface area the size of a football field.

A key step in the fight against CO2

This extraordinary property – the huge internal surface area – enables MOFs effectively capture CO2 moleculesThis could make capturing CO2 emissions much easier and cheaper. MOFs can be used to capture emissions from power plants, various industrial sites, or even directly from the air. Simplifying and making this process cheaper is a key step forward in the fight against climate change.

The European Commission (EC) is also actively supporting the use of MOF-based technologies through several programs, including the Innovation Fund and Horizon Europe. Specific projects, such as PORECAPTURE and MOST-H2 from the Horizon Europe program, are focused on research into the use of MOFs in membranes for efficient CO2 capture for hydrogen storage.

More than just carbon: Water, hydrogen and environmental cleaning

The potential of MOFs extends far beyond carbon capture. Scientists and engineers are exploring their applications in other areas to help transition to a clean environment and adapt to climate changeMOFs have great potential, for example, in extraction of pure water from the air, removing various pollutants and safely storing hydrogen.

The trustworthiness and scalability of these technologies in Europe is ensured by the Regulation on carbon removal and carbon agriculture (CRCF)Through this framework, the Commission is introducing methodologies for the certification of permanent carbon removal. These methodologies include technologies such as Direct Air Carbon Capture with Storage (DACCS) and Biogenic Carbon Capture with Storage (BioCCS).

The CRCF framework sets common monitoring and reporting standards. This gives facilities implementing DACCS and BioCCS in Europe the opportunity to apply for EU certificationSuch certification is crucial as it will strengthen market credibility, attract necessary investment and increase demand for verifiable and credible carbon removals recognised under this European public scheme.

The creation of the MOF by a trio of scientists represents not only a Nobel Prize-winning academic achievement, but also the promise of powerful, efficient, and versatile tools that will help us build a cleaner and more sustainable future. JRi