As a pioneer of MOFs and COFs, Prof. Yaghi is the first scientist to apply these innovative materials to the field of sustainable development, demonstrating tangible and impressive results.
Prof. Omar Yaghi awarded 2024 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development

In recognition of his innovative contributions to materials science, particularly in carbon capture, energy storage, and water harvesting, the Tang Foundation of Taiwan has honored Prof. Omar Yaghi, founder of Atoco, with the 2024 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development.
Established by the renowned construction engineer Dr. Samuel Yen-Liang Yin in 2012, the Tang Prize is awarded to individuals who have made remarkable contributions in areas such as Sustainable Development, Biopharmaceutical Science, Sinology, and Rule of Law. The prize, says the Tang Foundation, is intended “to gather the wisdom mankind needs to tackle the crises unique to the 21st century.”
In the case of Prof. Yaghi, such wisdom centers on his pioneering work in reticular chemistry—a new way of making materials by stitching organic and inorganic units into extraordinarily porous yet robust metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs). These frameworks can be manipulated with atomic precision to perform specific tasks such as selectively capturing carbon dioxide from flue gases and the atmosphere, dramatically increasing the storage volumes of gases such as methane and hydrogen, and harvesting potable water from desert air.
To learn more about the Tange Prize and its laureates, read the full article.