Omar M. Yaghi

Omar M. Yaghi is the James and Neeltje Tretter Chair Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. He is Founding Director of the Berkeley Global Science Institute and Co-Director of the Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute, California Research Alliance by BASF, and Bakar Institute of Digital Materials for the Planet. His research pioneered Reticular Chemistry, enabling the design of ultra-porous materials like Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs), and Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks (ZIFs).

His work spans clean energy storage, water harvesting from desert air, carbon capture, and molecular weaving. Recent articles highlight AI-driven digital discovery cycles and polymer entanglement using COFs. He has received over 20 major awards, including the Wolf Prize in Chemistry and BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award.

• Key Research Programs: Reticular Chemistry, Water Harvesting, Carbon Dioxide Capture, Molecular Weaving, AI-Driven Materials Discovery
• Collaborations: BASF, Kavli ENSI, Bakar BIDMaP
• Students: Not explicitly listed, but his group trains students in reticular materials, catalysis, and biomedical applications.

With over 300 publications and 250,000 citations, Yaghi’s work bridges fundamental chemistry and climate solutions. His lab’s supercapacitors and thermal batteries demonstrate practical applications of MOFs and COFs.