Photo by Artem Maltsev on Unsplash
This year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded to researchers Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi for their work with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), molecular technologies with surprising properties that the Nobel Committee has compared to Hermione Granger's magic handbag in Harry Potter.
What are metal-organic frameworks and why do they sound magical?
MOFs are materials designed at the molecular level that have a highly porous internal structure: they appear small on the outside, but inside they possess a large amount of empty space, allowing them to capture gases, retain water vapor, or store guest molecules like tiny rooms. This ability led the chairman of the Nobel Committee to compare them to Hermione's handbag, which can hold objects much larger than its exterior shape would suggest.
Potential applications and current relevance
These structures have many practical applications that could profoundly influence the future: from carbon dioxide capture to combat climate change, to water purification, gas storage, or even use in medicine to transport drugs in a controlled manner. The discovery of MOFs opens up new opportunities to design tailored materials that respond to global sustainability challenges.
For more stories like this, follow More Latin.
Sources: