Crystal Engineering seminars

Richard Robson, Susumu Kitagawa and Omar M. Yaghi examine the origins, development and applications of metal–organic frameworks. Robson follows the emergence of coordination polymers and the design of extended molecular structures from pre-organized building blocks, explaining the architectural ideas behind framework construction. Kitagawa describes how coordination chemistry led to porous materials and then to flexible crystalline structures. His discussion of soft porous crystals shows how frameworks can respond to external stimuli, opening and closing as they capture molecules, with implications for gas storage and separation. Yaghi considers how fundamental framework chemistry can connect to industrial and societal applications, including emerging uses of artificial intelligence. Together, the lectures show how complementary approaches to molecular design, porosity and responsive structure developed into a broad materials research field.