QUICK FACTS
Date of Birth
1960
Amman, Jordan
Place of Birth
Why Featured?
Omar M. Yaghi is renowned for founding the field of reticular chemistry and inventing several classes of new materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and zeolitic imidazolate frameworks. These materials are notable for their extremely high surface areas, making significant contributions to clean energy storage and generation, including the storage and separation of hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide, water harvesting from desert air, and catalysis.
BRIEF BIO
Omar M. Yaghi is a preeminent chemist, currently holding the position of James and Neeltje Tretter Chair Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. His groundbreaking work in chemistry, specifically in the development of new crystalline materials, has positioned him as one of the most cited chemists globally. His research has broad implications in clean energy, environmental science, and material science.
LAST UPDATED
DATE
Monday, January 26, 2026
MAJOR MILESTONES
Key dates & turning points
1985: Received B.S. degree from State University of New York-Albany...See More
1990: Obtained Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Illinois-Urbana.
1990-92: Served as an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University.
2006: Joined UCLA as Christopher S. Foote Professor of Chemistry.
2012-Present: Appointed as the James and Neeltje Tretter Chair Professor of Chemistry at University of California, Berkeley.
CONTRIBUTIONS
What they did, and why it matters
Discovery of MOFs (1995): Reported the successful preparation and crystallization of the first strongly-bonded porous framework, a key development in metal−organic frameworks (MOFs).
Development of Reticular Chemistry (2005): Extended his approach to design and crystallization of the first 2D covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and in 2007 3D COFs.
MOF Water Harvester: Demonstrated the potential of MOFs to harvest water from the desert air, addressing critical water scarcity issues.
Molecular Weaving Technologies: Pioneered the technique of using coordination chemistry to weave organic threads into novel frameworks with unique properties.
Influence on Clean Energy and Environment: His inventions in MOFs and COFs have applications in cleaner air, energy, and water, contributing significantly to the transition to zero net carbon and purification processes.
Disclaimer: This chat uses AI to generate responses inspired by the profile content and publicly available information. It does not represent the real person.
Last updated
Jan 26, 2026
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