ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 12 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NOBEL PRIZE HONORS METALORGANIC FRAMEWORKS Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025 for developing a new form of molecular architecture. In their constructions, metal ions function as cornerstones that are linked by long organic molecules. Together, the metal ions and molecules are organized to form crystals that contain large cavities, and these porous materials are called metal-organic frameworks (MOF). By varying the building blocks used in the MOFs, chemists can design them to capture and store specific substances. MOFs can also drive chemical reactions or conduct electricity. “Metal-organic frameworks have enormous potential, bringing previously unforeseen opportunities for custom-made materials with new functions,” says Heiner Linke, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry. It began in 1989, when Robson tried using the inherent properties of atoms in a new way. He combined positively charged copper ions with a four-armed molecule, which had a chemical group that was attracted to copper ions at the end of each arm. When combined, they bonded to form a well-ordered, spacious crystal like a diamond filled with numerous cavities. Robson immediately recognized the potential of his molecular construction, but it was unstable and easily collapsed. Next, Susumu Kitagawa and Omar Yaghi provided this building method with a firm foundation. Between 1992 and 2003, they separately made a series of discoveries. Kitagawa showed that gases can flow in and out of the constructions and predicted that MOFs could be made flexible. Yaghi created a very stable MOF and showed that it can be modified using rational design, giving it new and desirable properties. Following these groundbreaking discoveries, chemists have built tens of thousands of different MOFs. Some of these may help solve the world’s greatest challenges, with applications from separating PFAS from water to capturing carbon dioxide and beyond. nobelprize.org. STOPPING CRACKS IN ELECTRONIC DEVICES Researchers at Brown University discovered surprising details about how cracks form in multilayer flexible electronic devices. The team found that small cracks in a device’s fragile electrode layer can drive deeper, more destructive cracks into the tougher polymer substrate layer on which the electrodes sit. The work overturns an assumption that polymer substrates usually resist cracking. For the study, postdoc Anush Ranka made small experimental devices using various types of ceramic electrodes and polymer substrates. He then subjected them to bending tests and used an electron microscope to examine the cracks. The study showed that cracks in the ceramic layer often drive deeper cracks into the substrate. The effect occurred across ceramic and polymer combinations, suggesting this is a common failure mechanism in flexible electronics. Understanding the cracking mechanism led the team toward a potential fix: adding a third layer of material between the ceramic and the substrate that mitigates the elastic mismatch. The researchers believe their design diagram could lead to more durable devices. brown.edu. Chang Robotics, Jacksonville, Fla., joined the Human AugmentatioN via Dexterity Engineering Research Center (HAND ERC), a multiinstitutional effort led by Northwestern University and funded with a $26 million grant from the National Science Foundation. HAND ERC is developing robotic hands that come equipped with AI-powered skills that will improve over time. www.changrobotics.ai. BRIEF Many flexible metal-organic frameworks can change shape when they are filled or emptied of various substances. Courtesy of Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. A microscope image reveals how cracks that form in the ceramic top layer of a flexible electronic device can penetrate deep into the polymer substrate beneath. Courtesy of Brown University.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTYyMzk3NQ==