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Three scientists win Nobel chemistry Prize for their work on 'Hermione handbag' materials

The Nobel chemistry prize was awarded to Omar Yaghi, Richard Robson, and Susumu Ktagawa for their work on a new molecular structure that could help combat climate change, and the lack of freshwater.

The three laureates created molecular structures, called metal-organic frames or MOFs. These have large spaces that allow gases and other chemicals to flow. They can be used to capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gasses, or harvest water from the desert air.

The award committee described the "unheard-of properties" of some of these materials. A porous material about the size of a sugar cube can have as much surface as a football pitch.

A small amount of this material is almost as big as Hermione’s handbag from Harry Potter. Olof Ramstrom said that it can store huge quantities of gas within a small volume.

USES COULD INCLUDE DEALING WITH 'FOREVER CHEMICALS'

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the prize, which has been around for more than 100 years. Winners receive 11 million Swedish crowns (about $1.2 million) and enjoy the prestige of being the recipients of arguably the most prestigious award in the field of science.

Kitagawa said at the Nobel Press Conference that he felt deeply honored by the award.

He said, "My dream is capture air and separate it into CO2, oxygen or water and then convert these materials to useful ones using renewable energy."

The Academy stated that chemists had created tens and thousands of MOFs. Some of these "may help solve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity", adding that other uses include separating toxic "forever chemicals" from water, as well as breaking down traces in the environment of pharmaceuticals.

Kitagawa, a Japanese professor, is at Kyoto University. Robson, an Australian professor, is at the University of Melbourne. Yaghi, a US professor, is at the University of California Berkeley.

Robson is British-born, but moved to Australia when he was in his 20s. Yaghi is Jordanian and American.

Science is the greatest equalizing force in the world

Yaghi was raised by Palestinian refugees as a child in Jordan. His family lived with their cattle and a single room.

In an interview on the Nobel website he stated that his parents were unable to read or write. He said that science is the most equalizing force in the entire world.

Yaghi was 10 when he discovered a book about molecules in the school library. It was the start of his lifelong love for chemistry.

He told the Nobel website that "the deeper you dig the more beautiful you will find the things."

Robson claimed that he received the call from Stockholm about 30 minutes before the official announcement. He then celebrated in silence at his home near Melbourne.

He said, "I cooked fish with my wife and did the dishes afterwards." He added that he recently gave up alcohol due to health concerns.

He said, "I broke this rule by drinking a very cheap glass of wine."

Next on Thursday, THIRD NOBEL 2025 PRIZE LITERATURE.

In keeping with tradition the Chemistry Nobel Prize was announced as the third award in this year's awards. It followed those for Medicine and Physics announced earlier in this week.

The Nobel Prizes for Literature, Science and Peace were established in 1901 by Alfred Nobel, a Swedish businessman and inventor. They have been awarded ever since, but with some interruptions, mostly because of the World Wars.

Nobel himself was a chemist, and his discoveries in this field contributed to the wealth that he accumulated from his inventions of dynamite during the 19th century. The economics award was added later by the Swedish central banks.

The chemistry awards, although sometimes overshadowed in favour of more famous laureates from the fields such as physics, literature, and peace, have still recognized many influential discoveries, including nuclear fission and DNA sequencing techniques.

The chemistry prize was given to U.S. scientists David Baker, John Jumper, and Briton Demis Hassabis last year for their work in decoding protein structures and creating new ones. This has led to advances such as drug research. ($1 = 9,3436 Swedish crowns).

(source: Reuters)