Advanced Material Uses

Three chemists just won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry - for building materials with rooms inside them. At the molecular scale. The story of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) - and how they could help save the planet. 🏅 Susumu Kitagawa – Kyoto University. 🏅 Richard Robson – University of Melbourne. 🏅 Omar Yaghi – UC Berkeley. Their creation? Metal–Organic Frameworks. Tiny crystalline structures with vast internal space like molecular hotels for gases. Imagine a material full of microscopic rooms. Each room can trap, store, or release specific molecules. 💧 Some capture water from desert air. 🌍 Others pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. ☣️ Some even lock away toxic gases. Chemistry - turned into architecture. It started in 1989. Richard Robson tried connecting copper ions with a four-armed organic molecule. The result? A crystal full of empty cavities - stable in shape, but fragile in spirit. He saw the potential but couldn’t yet hold it together. Then came Susumu Kitagawa and Omar Yaghi. In the 1990s and early 2000s, they cracked the code: Kitagawa showed gases could move in and out - and predicted flexible frameworks. Yaghi made them strong, tunable, and stable. From fragile curiosity → functional material. Today, scientists have built tens of thousands of MOFs. They can be engineered for anything: → Capturing CO₂ → Storing hydrogen → Filtering PFAS from water → Breaking down pollutants → Conducting electricity Each design is a custom molecular tool. It’s chemistry meeting engineering - atoms organized with the precision of architecture. These frameworks don’t just exist. They work. They turn invisible molecules into something we can control. This isn’t just chemistry. It’s future infrastructure - built one molecule at a time.

Air-to-Water Technology - Engineering the Future of Water Security Omar Yaghi (Nobel Prize-winning chemist), a pioneer in advanced porous materials, has developed atmospheric water harvesting systems using Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), ultra-porous crystalline materials capable of capturing water molecules directly from air. ✦ How the Technology Works: • Uses MOFs with very high surface area (up to 7,000 m²/g) • Adsorbs water vapor even at low relative humidity (as low as 10–20%) • Releases water through mild heating (solar or low-grade thermal energy) • Condensed water is collected, filtered & mineral-balanced ✦ Engineering Insights: • Works in desert conditions • Can operate off-grid (solar-powered integration possible) • Scalable modular units • Reported capacity (large-scale systems): up to 1,000 L/day • Lower dependence on groundwater or surface water sources ✦ Why This Matters: • 2+ billion people globally lack reliable drinking water access • Reduces borewell dependency & over-extraction • Useful for remote sites, defense camps, disaster zones • Potential integration with HVAC condensation recovery systems From an MEP perspective, this is not just chemistry, it’s thermodynamics, adsorption science, energy optimization, and sustainable infrastructure design combined. Water security is becoming as critical as energy security. #WaterTechnology #Sustainability #MEPEngineering #HVAC #Innovation #ClimateAction #CleanWater #FutureEngineering

AI x Quantum is the new the frontier of materials innovation. The latest data on the hottest, nascent manufacturing markets highlights the companies driving breakthroughs in materials development; fueled by $1.1B in funding this year. What's driving the surge? AI and quantum computing advances are helping these platforms reach accuracy levels that can replace physical trials at a fraction of the cost and time. Key developments at the intersection of quantum, AI, and materials: ↳Full-stack integration: Radical AI combines AI, quantum mechanics, and automated chemical characterization in a single platform ↳Data management revolution: Uncountable Inc. handles experimental data collection, management, and visualization – letting researchers focus on discoveries instead of searching for data ↳Proven cost reduction: Kebotix combines machine learning with lab automation, reporting 5x reduction in lab costs ↳Quantum algorithms advancing: Qunova Computing claims their algorithms reduce computational requirements by over 1,000x compared to traditional methods ↳Infrastructure scaling: Companies like Albert Invent combine material development with laboratory information management and regulatory compliance The shift from tools to platforms is critical. These aren't just simulation tools – they're comprehensive R&D management systems positioned to replace entire suites of disparate research software. Now, we're seeing a new breed of materials companies founded by AI experts, exemplified by former OpenAI researcher Liam Fedus's Periodic Labs that just raised $200M at a $1B valuation. When AI's top talent moves into materials, it signals where the next wave of industrial innovation will emerge. SandboxAQ, the Google spinout with the highest Mosaic score (879), develops AI and quantum models to predict molecular properties. While fault-tolerant quantum computers aren't expected until 2030, companies like Quemix Inc. are developing quantum-inspired techniques providing advantages today. QpiAI notably built its own quantum computer using superconducting circuits. Broadly, these emerging platforms transform materials development from years to months by digitally testing compounds before expensive lab work begins; shifting the competitive edge from lab size to the rapidly-expanding computational limits of intelligence. P.S. Want more insights on the companies developing the future of materials? Drop "material developments" in the comments for *free* access to CB Insights' data and insights on the Material development platforms market.

♻️ Turning Plastic Waste into Fuel - Without Noble Metals or External Hydrogen A recent JACS paper reports an exciting research in catalytic upcycling: a robust and selective route for converting polyethylene into branched C6-C12 alkanes (gasoline-range oil) under mild conditions (<170 °C), using AlCl₃-containing molten salts as both reaction medium and catalytic source. 🚫 No need for extra solvents, additives, or hydrogen gas. No noble metal catalysts required 🔬 What makes it tick? Tricoordinated Al³⁺ sites, dynamically formed and validated via Al K-edge XAS and ²⁷Al NMR Strong Lewis acidity, comparable to acidic zeolites Highly ionic molten salts, stabilizing carbenium intermediates 🔍 Supported by: Inelastic neutron scattering + isotope labeling DFT simulations highlighting β-scission, isomerization, and hydrogen transfer pathways 🛢️ Bonus: The system also converts robust high-MW plastics into diesel-range liquid alkanes. This work underscores the elegance of simple chemistry - redefining how we approach circularity and clean fuel generation from everyday waste. #polymerupcycling #circulareconomy #catalysis #plasticwaste

From seaweed to skin repair: nanocellulose is raising the bar for biomaterials What if a renewable material from plants and seaweeds could help heal skin, strengthen soft biomaterials, and unlock the next wave of high‑tech products? A new study with input from New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science Limited's biomaterials teams shows that nanocellulose - tiny fibrils and crystals of cellulose - can dramatically stiffen gelatin hydrogels used as tissue‑engineering scaffolds. Read all about it here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ecPEh8tQ Why this matters Stronger, tunable hydrogels mean better “homes” for cells - closer to native tissue mechanics - potentially speeding progress in skin, cartilage, bone and vascular applications. And because nanocellulose is biobased and abundant, it fits perfectly with a circular bioeconomy vision. Beyond medicine: high‑tech opportunities include 🧫 3D bioprinting & bioinks: shear‑thinning, print‑friendly, cell‑compatible. ⚡ Energy storage: robust, porous binders and separators for Li‑ion/sodium‑ion batteries and supercapacitors. 🖨️ Flexible electronics & substrates: transparent, strong, low‑thermal expansion—great for printed sensors and wearables. 💧 Advanced filtration & membranes: tuneable pore networks for water purification, protein separations, and gas barriers. 📦 High‑performance, biodegradable packaging: oxygen/grease barrier films and coatings. 🧠 Smart materials: piezoresistive/strain sensors, antimicrobial and conductive composites via green chemistries. If you’re building with biomaterials - talk to our biomaterials and biomanufacturing teams about partnerships, scale‑up, and standards to bring these solutions to market faster. Janet Reid I Niki Hazelton I Stefan Hill I Marie-Joo Le Guen I Lyn Wise University of Otago I AgriSea I Tane Bradley #Nanocellulose #Biomaterials #TissueEngineering #Hydrogels #Medicine #3DPrinting #Bioinks #Wearables #FlexibleElectronics #EnergyStorage #Batteries #Supercapacitors #Filtration #Membranes #SustainableMaterials #CircularBioeconomy #BlueEconomy #Seaweed #Algae #AdvancedManufacturing #Innovation #Bioeconomy

Plastic waste is everywhere—piling up in landfills, drifting through oceans, even shedding from our clothes.  Most of these plastics take hundreds of years to break down. While recycling was supposed to help, the reality is that most plastic never gets reused because the process is too slow and expensive. But what if enzymes could do the work instead? ►  London-based startup Epoch Biodesign recently raised $18.3M to accelerate plastic breakdown using AI. ► Their technology designs enzymes that break down synthetic fabrics 25 times faster than natural processes. ►  Epoch’s team trained AI to quickly test thousands of enzyme variations in a short amount of time. Why it matters: Traditional plastic recycling is costly and energy-intensive. Epoch’s method uses enzymes (not heat or chemicals) to break down plastic more efficiently and sustainably. The fashion industry, one of the biggest plastic polluters, is taking note. Inditex (Zara's parent company) just inked a multi-year deal with Epoch to turn old clothes into new ones. If they can scale, this could redefine how we handle plastic waste—less landfilling, more reuse. Fun fact: Epoch started as a high school science project. Now, it’s tackling one of the world’s biggest environmental challenges. 🚀 ♻️ #artificialintelligence #innovation

🔬 MOF Revolution in Solid-State Sodium Batteries — A Nobel-backed Path to Energy Security 🏆 This year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognized the pioneers of Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) — Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi — for unlocking a class of materials whose tunable, porous architectures are redefining chemistry, catalysis, and now… energy storage. A recent breakthrough published in Nature Energy (Liu et al., 2025) extends the MOF legacy into solid-state sodium batteries (SSSBs) — demonstrating how MOF epitaxy can fundamentally reshape electrode–electrolyte interfaces and push the voltage boundary of polymer-based solid electrolytes beyond 4.2 V. ⚙️ What’s new? The team at the Institute of Physics, CAS, developed an isotropic MOF epitaxial layer (MET-6) that uniformly coats the high-voltage cathode Na₃V₂O₂(PO₄)₂F (NVOPF). Unlike conventional coatings, this MOF layer simultaneously: Fully passivates the cathode surface, Maintains open Na⁺ diffusion channels, And extends the electrochemical stability window of PEO-based electrolytes from ~3.87 V to ~4.27 V. The result? ➡️ 1,500 stable cycles at 4.2 V and 2 C with 77.9% capacity retention. ➡️ 93.3% rate retention from 0.2 C to 2 C. ➡️ Pouch cells at practical areal loadings (~5.3 mg cm⁻²) sustaining 80% capacity after 300 cycles under near-ambient pressure. Even in aqueous systems, MOF-coated Na₂Mn[Fe(CN)₆]·H₂O cathodes showed 800-cycle stability with suppressed metal dissolution — a cross-platform validation of MOF’s robustness. 🌍 Beyond the lab — A strategic inflection point MOFs are no longer just academic curiosities. Their atomic-level tunability and modular synthesis make them a scalable and geo-politically resilient path forward for next-generation batteries: 1.Supply Chain Resilience Sodium and framework materials are globally abundant — decoupled from the lithium–nickel–cobalt axis that dominates geopolitically sensitive supply chains. 2.Commercial Viability MOF synthesis has matured — scalable solvothermal routes, low-cost precursors, and integration with existing cathode production lines make industrial translation plausible within 3–5 years. 3. Cross-sector Opportunity ✈️ eVTOLs & aerospace: Solid-state safety + high voltage = higher energy per kg with zero flammability risk. 🤖 Autonomous robotics: Thin, stable solid electrolytes enable flexible and high-cycle operation. 🛡️ Grid & defense applications: Non-flammable, sodium-based solid batteries bypass strategic export restrictions. 💡 The bigger picture As export controls tighten on lithium and graphite materials, MOF-engineered solid-state sodium systems present more than a technical leap — they mark a strategic diversification of the global energy storage roadmap. The message is clear: 👉 The future of high-energy batteries may be framed — literally — by MOFs. #EnergyStorage #BatteryInnovation #SolidStateBattery #SodiumBattery #MOF #NobelPrize #SupplyChainResilience #eVTOL #MaterialsScience

MOFs: The Carbon Killer That Also Pulls Water from Air Imagine a porous crystal so efficient it traps #CO₂ like a magnet—and even pulls drinking water out of desert air using just sunlight. Metal-Organic Frameworks (#MOFs), those marvels of reticular chemistry, are stepping up as climate™ multi-taskers. 🌱 Carbon Capture Powerhouse MOFs are engineered with molecular precision: their infinite nano-pores are tailor-made to adsorb CO₂ more effectively than empty volumes, enhancing uptake and selectivity . Recent research shows that in humid environments, water doesn’t hinder but actually boosts CO₂ capture—via dipole–quadrupole interactions, formation of new #adsorption sites, and stabilization of reactive intermediates such as #ammonium carbamate and bicarbonate . 💧 Water Harvesting from Thin Air Pioneers like Prof. Omar Yaghi demonstrated that MOFs such as MOF-801 (zirconium-based) can adsorb water at only 20 % relative humidity and release ~2.8 L per kg per day using natural sunlight—no electricity needed . These materials turn dry desert air into “tropical” moisture reservoirs, enabling passive water generation . Building on that, MOF-303 (aluminum-based) has been tested in Death Valley—capturing water even at 10 % humidity, with ~0.7 L/kg/day yields under real-world desert conditions . Hybrid composites like MOF-303 combined with thiolated polymers show ultrafast uptake and low-temperature #desorption (< 40 °C), making them highly energy-efficient AWH (Atmospheric Water Harvesting) tools . Why This Matters MOFs could be a rare dual-action solution—simultaneously tackling #greenhouse gas reduction and water scarcity. Picture communities in water-stressed, arid regions enjoying clean water and cleaner air—all from materials that run on sunlight and science. It's time to treat MOFs not just as “chemistry,” but as genuine agents of climate resilience and humanitarian impact. What’s your take? Are you exploring MOF technologies or similar materials for climate innovation? Calistair. Science for healthy air www.calistair.com #MetalOrganicFrameworks #MOFs #ZIFs #COFs #CarbonCapture #Decarbonization #ClimateTech #SustainableInnovation #CleanAir #WaterHarvesting #AtmosphericWater #GreenChemistry #ClimateResilience #NetZero #FutureOfWater #ScientificInnovation #Cleantech

Omar Yaghi, winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, has unveiled a solar-powered machine that pulls up to 1,000 liters of clean drinking water per day straight from desert air. Even in humidity as low as 15%, this device captures water molecules using advanced materials called Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), ultra-porous structures that act like microscopic sponges. Unlike traditional atmospheric water generators, this system runs entirely on sunlight. No massive infrastructure. No desalination plants. No pipelines. Just air and sunshine. The harvested water exceeds international safety standards, offering a decentralized solution for regions facing extreme water scarcity. A single gram of MOF can have the surface area of several football fields, maximizing water capture in compact units. If scaled globally, this tech could help millions survive in some of Earth’s harshest climates.

🏆🏅The 2025 Chemistry Nobel for MOFs isn’t just about crystal design, it’s powering solid-state batteries and more. 𝑴𝑶𝑭𝒔: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒅-𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑩𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 🔋 What if the future of safe, fast-charging, and long-lasting batteries could be built, atom by atom? That’s the promise of Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs), fascinating materials where metals and organic molecules assemble into beautiful, porous crystals that can move lithium ions with incredible precision. In solid-state batteries, MOFs are helping scientists solve long-standing challenges: ⚙️ Preventing lithium dendrites that cause short circuits 🚀 Speeding up ion movement for faster charging 🧩 Building stable interfaces that last thousands of cycles 🌍 Enabling safer, non-flammable, and sustainable energy storage By tailoring the chemistry of MOFs, researchers can design pathways for lithium ions to move more freely, just like building custom highways for energy transport. From labs to pilot cells, MOFs are now shaping the next leap in energy materials where chemistry meets innovation, and every atom counts. #Innovation #SolidStateBattery #MOF #CleanEnergy #BatteryTechnology #MaterialsScience #Sustainability #Nobelprize