BASF produces metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for CO₂ capture on an industrial scale. These nanostructures can absorb large quantities of molecules on their surface. For the development of these MOF structures, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm will award this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry on December 10, 2025. The prize will go to the materials researchers Prof. Omar M. Yaghi, University of California, USA, Prof. Susumu Kitagawa, Kyoto University, Japan, and Prof. Richard Robson, University of Melbourne, Australia.
At the prize announcement in October, the Nobel Committee for Chemistry presented, among other things, the MOF compound CALF-20, which BASF produces at its site in Seneca, South Carolina, USA. The Canadian company Svante Technologies Inc. uses CALF-20 to separate CO₂ from gas streams.
MOFs are sponge-like crystalline, three-dimensional structures made of metals and organic molecules. They feature nanoporous cavities and an internal surface area of up to 10,000 square meters per gram - larger than a football pitch - and can store large quantities of molecules. MOFs can be engineered to selectively capture and store specific molecules. Thanks to their structure, they are ideally suited to extract gases such as CO₂ or water vapor in confined spaces, or to catalyse chemical reactions. “Our MOFs are already being used in commercial applications to capture CO₂ and to recover water from the air. We are very pleased that the Nobel Prize Committee recognizes the significance of these materials and at the same time is highlighting further fields of application, which we aim to develop together with our partners,” said Dr. Detlef Ruff, Senior Vice President Chemical Catalysts and Adsorbents at BASF.
MOFs: From the Beginning to Today
BASF’s research into MOFs began around 25 years ago. During this time, researchers have investigated and developed a wide variety of MOFs for different applications: from hydrogen storage and natural gas storage to the storage of CO₂ and water.
Currently, BASF is primarily focused on two applications: the storage of water and the storage of CO₂. For water storage, MOFs extract moisture from the air. BASF is already utilizing this in pilot projects, for example, to dehumidify air conditioning systems. Alternatively, in the future, the water storage capability of MOFs could help to supply dry regions with water captured from desert air. MOFs can also be used to reduce carbon emissions in various industries.
The Nobel Prize award demonstrates that BASF’s perseverance in MOF research has paid off. Over many years, BASF has worked closely with Professor Omar Yaghi and maintains a strong connection with him to this day. Among other things, Yaghi is co-founder of the California Research Alliance (CARA), a research collaboration initiated by BASF in the USA.
