AI in covalent organic framework chemistry

 

AI in covalent organic framework chemistry

 

Date: 9^th January, 2026 (Friday)

Time: 10 - 11 am (HKT)

 

Venue: Lecture Theatre P2, Chong Yuet Ming Physics Building

 

 

Prof. Omar M. Yaghi (Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2025)

 

Prof. Omar M. Yaghi is the 2025 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, recognized for the development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and for founding the field of reticular chemistry. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University. He is currently the James and Neeltje Tretter Chair Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. Prof. Yaghi is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. His honors include the Wolf Prize in Chemistry, King Faisal International Prize in Science, Albert Einstein World Award of Science, BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award, and the Gregori Aminoff Prize, culminating in the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

 

Prof. Omar M. Yaghi will discuss how AI can assist the design and synthesis of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and other porous materials. Drawing on examples from metal–organic frameworks and COFs, the talk will illustrate how AI tools can help researchers identify promising synthesis conditions, improve material quality, and better understand structure–property relationships. The seminar will highlight a new research approach in which AI systems support tasks such as analyzing prior studies, planning experiments, and guiding materials optimization. This emerging human–AI collaboration offers a powerful pathway for exploring complex chemical spaces more efficiently and for accelerating the development of advanced materials with tailored properties.