Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday. The scientists have found a way to develop entirely new materials. A small amount of this material can store enormous amounts of gas.
The scientists have developed entirely new material with a kind of large cavities in it. “A small amount of it is like Hermione’s handbag in Harry Potter. It can store enormous amounts of gas in a small volume,” explains the chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, Heiner Linke, at a press conference.
Professors Kitagawa (Kyoto University), Robson (University of Melbourne), and Yaghi (University of Berkeley, USA) worked on creating molecular constructions with large cavities in them. These spaces can be used to allow gas and chemicals to flow through and to store carbon dioxide and toxic substances, writes news agency Reuters.
With the development of this new structure, new opportunities are offered for all kinds of chemical challenges, says Linke.
The prize was awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. In addition to the prestigious prize, the winners will also receive 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately 1 million euros) to share.
The previous Nobel Prizes in Chemistry were awarded to discoveries such as nuclear fission, DNA sequencing techniques, and yeast. Last year, two American scientists received the prize for their creation of new proteins. That discovery led to advances in, among other things, drug development.