This year the Nobel Prize for Chemistry has been received by Susumu Kitagawa (Japan), Richard Robson (Australia) and Omar M. Yaghi (America). Sweden’s Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced it on Wednesday. They have created atoms that have large empty parts, from which gas and other chemical substances can easily pass. These structures are called metal organic frameworks (MOFs). It contains crystals that have large empty parts.
These can be specially designed so that they can capture or store something special. They can be used to collect water from desert air, remove pollution, clean carbon dioxide, store toxic gases or intensify chemical activities. The winners will get 11 million Swedish Krona (Rs 10.3 crore), gold medal and certificate. This prize money will be divided between these three. The awards will be given in Stockholm on 10 December.
What is a metal-organic framework (MOF)?
MOF is a kind of net -like network, which is made up of metals and carbon molecules. There are many empty holes or places inside them, in which gases or fluids can go in and out.
Know why this discovery is special
- To extract water from the desert air.
- In removing harmful chemicals such as pollutants or PFAs from water.
- In cleaning carbon dioxide (co₂) from the air.
- To securely store gases like hydrogen or methane.
- To prevent ethylene gas emanating from the fruit so that the fruit is slowly cooked.
- To deliver medicines in the body in a controlled manner.
Nobel Prize was established in 1895
The Nobel Prize was established in 1895 and the award was received in 1901. From 1901 to 2024, 229 people have been honored in the field of medicine. These awards are given based on the will of scientist and inventor Alfred Bernhard Nobel. Initially, Nobel was given only in the fields of physics, medicine, chemistry, literature and peace. Later, Nobel was also given in the field of Economics. According to the Nobel Prize website, the names of people who are nominated for Nobel in any field are not revealed for the next 50 years.
