Melbourne University professor wins historic Nobel chemistry prize
‘A wonderful day for Australian science’ was decades in the making, as an international research effort with astonishing results earns this Melb Uni professor the coveted Nobel prize
READING LEVEL: ORANGE
The University of Melbourne’s Richard Robson has won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry alongside two other scientists for their groundbreaking* research that could help solve “some of humankind’s greatest challenges”.
Professor Robson, who was born in the UK but has taught in Australia since 1966, shares the prize with Japan’s Susumu Kitagawa and American-Jordanian Omar Yaghi for developing a new form of molecular architecture* called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).
MOFs are a completely new class of solids with remarkable uses, including harvesting water from desert air.
HERMIONE’S HANDBAG
The Nobel jury noted that thanks to the trio’s discoveries, chemists had been able to build tens of thousands of different MOFs.
“Some of these may contribute to solving some of humankind’s greatest challenges,” the jury said.
It listed applications such as “separating PFAS* from water, breaking down traces of pharmaceuticals* in the environment, capturing carbon dioxide* or harvesting water from desert air”.
To explain the scale of their achievement, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences secretary-general Hans Ellegren told reporters: “Imagine that the tools of chemistry could be used to create entirely new materials with unheard of properties.”
Speaking at the prize announcement, the Nobel committee for chemistry chair Professor Heiner Link said: “They have found ways to create … entirely novel materials with large cavities on the inside, which can be seen almost like rooms in a hotel, so that guest molecules can enter and also exit again from the same material.
“A small amount of such material can be almost like Hermione’s handbag in Harry Potter. It can store huge amounts of gas in a tiny volume.”
SPACIOUS CRYSTAL
In 1989, Professor Robson tested the properties of atoms in a new way using copper ions*.
“When they were combined, they bonded to form a well-ordered, spacious crystal,” the jury said. “It was like a diamond filled with innumerable cavities.”
Prof Robson realised the potential of his discovery but the molecular structure was unstable.
It was Professor Kitagawa, from Kyoto University, and Professor Yaghi, from the University of California Berkeley, who provided a “firm foundation” for the building method.
Between 1992 and 2003, working separately, they made a series of revolutionary discoveries.
Prof Kitagawa “showed that gases can flow in and out of the constructions and predicted that MOFs could be made flexible”, said the jury.
Prof Yaghi created “a very stable MOF” and “showed that it could be modified using rational design, giving it new and desirable properties”.
CELEBRATING AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE
Prof Robson has been a lecturer and researcher at the University of Melbourne since 1966. He produced the first metal-organic frameworks in the early 1990s and has continued to explore different forms of MOFs ever since.
While winning a Nobel Prize is the highest possible recognition of his achievements, Prof Robson has won many awards during his illustrious* career, including being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2022 and having a Professorial Chair at the University of Melbourne named after him in 2024.
“Professor Robson is a humble man, who has achieved this honour by simply doing what he loves – going into the lab every day, talking with students, thinking big chemistry thoughts for decades and running experiments,” University of Melbourne deputy vice-chancellor* Professor Mark Cassidy said.
“He has been a valued member of our School of Chemistry for almost 60 years and has collaborated with and inspired countless academics and students with his wisdom and the wonderful story of how he came to build the first examples of what are now known as metal-organic frameworks.
“This award will no doubt spark a flurry of further research to develop MOFs into products that could be crucial to the renewable energy* revolution. This is a wonderful day for Professor Robson and Australian science.”
The Nobel consists of a diploma, a gold medal and a $1.6 million cheque, to be shared if there is more than one winner in a discipline.
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GLOSSARY
- molecular architecture: how molecules are assembled, the specific arrangement and interactions of molecular chains within a polymer
- PFAS: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals that are used to make products resistant to heat, stains, grease, and water
- pharmaceuticals: chemical drugs made by big drug companies
- carbon dioxide: the colourless, odourless gas formed when carbon is burned, or when people and animals breathe out
- copper ions: electrically charged copper atoms
- illustrious: successful, famous, well-respected and admired
- vice-chancellor: a very senior leadership role at a university
- renewable energy: energy produced from sources that come from the sun, wind, or other natural processes, and that are always available, unlike coal and oil
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QUICK QUIZ
- What does MOF stand for and what are they?
- Prof Robson joined the University of Melbourne as a lecturer and researcher in what year?
- The Nobel jury called out which four applications or uses for MOFs in its decision?
- Nobel committee for chemistry chair Professor Heiner Link likened MOFs to which accessory belonging to which character in the Harry Potter book series?
- Prof Robson shares his Nobel prize with two international colleagues – who are they and what did they contribute?
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. News: condensed
Identify the most important pieces of information in this article and write a condensed version of it using 50 words or less.
Draw a picture or diagram to support your condensed news story.
Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science
2. Extension
Compare your condensed news story with a classmate. Did you both include the same information or are your stories quite different? Discuss your choices and then work together to create a final condensed version of the story that you both agree tells the important parts that a reader would need or want to know.
Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English
VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there in Stockholm, Sweden, when the joint Nobel winners in chemistry were announced.
Create a conversation between two characters – such as a committee member, a journalist, or one of the winning scientists – you may need or want to include yourself as one of the characters. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.
Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.