From Refugee to Nobel Laureate: Omar Yaghi Wins Chemistry’s Top Honor

Omar Yaghi, UC Berkeley chemist, in his lab, shares 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Richard Robson and Susumu Kitagawa. [Brittany Hosea-Small/UC Berkeley]

Stockholm - October 9, 2025 – Omar M. Yaghi, a 60-year-old Jordanian-American chemist of Palestinian descent who fled as a refugee during the 1967 Six-Day War, has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, sharing the honor with Japan's Susumu Kitagawa and Australia's Richard Robson "for the development of metal-organic frameworks." The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences hailed their work as creating "molecular constructions with large spaces through which gases and other chemicals can flow," likening the porous structures to Hermione Granger's enchanted handbag in the Harry Potter series for their ability to pack vast utility into tiny forms.

Born in Amman, Jordan, on February 9, 1965, to Palestinian parents displaced from their homeland, Yaghi's early life was marked by upheaval. His family sought stability in the U.S., where he earned an associate degree in liberal arts and sciences from Hudson Valley Community College in 1983, followed by a bachelor's in chemistry (cum laude) from the University at Albany in 1985. He completed his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1990 under advisor Walter G. Klemperer, earning the Theron Standish Piper Award for his outstanding thesis. Yaghi's journey—from refugee to University Professor at UC Berkeley—exemplifies the "quintessential American dream," as noted by Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons during a celebratory press conference.

The breakthrough came in the 1990s, building on Robson's 1989 experiments with metal ions as "cornerstones" linked by organic molecules. Yaghi, then at Arizona State University, coined the term "metal-organic frameworks" (MOFs) in 1995 and developed stable carboxylate-based linkers by 2003, enabling frameworks resilient up to 300°C. Independently, Kitagawa advanced flexible, dynamic MOFs that adapt to guest molecules. These crystalline "super sponges" boast surface areas up to 7,000 square meters per gram—equivalent to two tennis courts—and have revolutionized applications from carbon capture to water harvesting in arid regions.

MOFs, with over 100,000 variants designed to date, address pressing issues: Yaghi's team in Arizona demonstrated pulling drinkable water from desert air overnight, yielding up to 0.3 liters per kilogram of MOF daily, scalable for drought-prone areas. They capture 90% of CO2 from flue gases, aiding net-zero goals, and store toxic gases like hydrogen for clean fuel cells or catalyze reactions for pharmaceuticals. The Academy emphasized their potential in solving "some of the challenges we face," including climate change and energy storage.

Yaghi, who served as a professor at UCLA (2006–2011) before joining UC Berkeley in 2012, is the founder of reticular chemistry—a field linking molecular building blocks into extended structures. His innovations have spawned collaborations worldwide, including at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he is an affiliate scientist. In January 2025, he became the seventh president of the World Cultural Council, promoting scientific advancement.

Yaghi learned of the win mid-flight, transitioning airports when the call came from the Nobel committee. In a recorded interview en route, he reflected on his refugee roots: "As a child in Jordan, chemistry was my escape—a beautiful world of patterns and possibilities." He credited mentors like Klemperer, who called him an "outstanding researcher," and expressed awe at the field's evolution: "We've built new rooms for chemistry, where molecules dance in harmony."

The trio splits the 11 million Swedish kronor (about $1.05 million) prize, awarded 116 times since 1901, with 10 women among recipients. Yaghi joins a distinguished lineage, including prior winners like Fraser Stoddart (2016, a UCLA colleague) and Jennifer Doudna (2020, UC Berkeley). His accolades span the Wolf Prize in Chemistry (2018), Albert Einstein World Award of Science (2017), and VinFuture Prize (2022). UC Berkeley, celebrating its 28th Nobel laureate, promoted Yaghi to University Professor in 2025—the system's highest honor.

Universities from UAlbany to Illinois beamed with pride. "Omar carries on a long-standing tradition of excellence," said Illinois Chemistry Head Catherine J. Murphy. Globally, the win spotlights immigrant contributions: Yaghi becomes the first Palestinian-descent Nobelist in sciences, inspiring refugees worldwide. As he prepares for the December 10 ceremony with King Carl XVI Gustaf, Yaghi urged: "Science knows no borders—it's the ultimate refuge for the curious mind." In an era of division, his story and discoveries remind us of chemistry's power to bind, purify, and sustain.