Omar Yaghi, a Jordanian-American chemist of Palestinian descent, was awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Susumu Kitagawa and Richard Robson for pioneering work in developing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), highly porous materials with major applications in clean energy, gas storage, water harvesting, and environmental remediation.1
Background and Education
Omar Yaghi was born in 1965 in Amman, Jordan, to a family of Palestinian refugees from Gaza, experiencing hardship and limited access to basic resources during his childhood. At age 15, he moved to the United States, where, despite knowing little English, he completed his undergraduate studies at the State University of New York at Albany and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign in 1990.2
Scientific Contributions
Yaghi is best known for founding reticular chemistry—the science of linking molecular building blocks into extended structures. His work led to the development of MOFs and related materials. MOFs are crystalline compounds that can selectively capture and store gases, such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and have revolutionized fields such as material science, clean energy, and climate technology.
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MOFs are used for capturing carbon emissions, storing hydrogen or methane for clean fuels, and harvesting water from air, especially useful in arid regions.
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Over 100,000 different MOF structures have been synthesized and tailored for diverse scientific and industrial uses.3
Honors and Impact
Yaghi is currently a University Professor and the James and Neeltje Tretter Chair in Chemistry at UC Berkeley, a member of various national science academies, and founding director of the Berkeley Global Science Institute. He has previously taught at UCLA and is considered a transformative figure in chemistry, with his innovations driving progress towards sustainable technologies and clean energy.4
Personal Journey
Yaghi’s life story—from a humble background as a refugee to his receipt of the highest scientific recognition—has inspired many globally, particularly across the Arab and Muslim worlds. He is noted as the first Nobel laureate of Palestinian descent since Yasser Arafat.6
Notable Quote
“Science is the greatest equalizing force in the world,” Yaghi stated in reflection on his journey.6
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Nobel Prize | Chemistry, 2025 (Shared with Kitagawa & Robson) |
| Major Contribution | Reticular chemistry, MOFs |
| Applications | Gas storage, clean energy, water harvesting |
| Academic Positions | UC Berkeley, UCLA (former) |
| Birth/Background | Amman, Jordan; Palestinian refugee descent |
| Inspirational Quotes | “Science is the greatest equalizing force…” |
Omar Yaghi’s work marks a fundamental leap in material science, harnessing molecular architecture for environmental and technological solutions, and his life story serves as a testament to the power of scientific opportunity and resilience.news.berkeley+3
- https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2025/press-release/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_M._Yaghi
- https://news.berkeley.edu/2025/10/08/uc-berkeleys-omar-yaghi-shares-2025-nobel-prize-in-chemistry/
- https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2025/yaghi/interview/
- https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/former-ucla-professor-omar-yaghi-2025-nobel-prize-chemistry
- https://www.amust.com.au/2025/10/omar-yaghi-refugee-from-gaza-wins-2025-nobel-prize-in-chemistry/
Extracted from AI handle – perplexity.ai
