Richard Robson (chemist)

Richard Robson FAA FRS (born 4 June 1937) is an English-born Australian chemist and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne.^[2] Robson specializes in coordination polymers, particularly metal-organic frameworks.^[3] He has been described as "a pioneer in crystal engineering involving transition metals."^[4][5] In 2025, he received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with Susumu Kitagawa and Omar M. Yaghi for the development of metal-organic frameworks.^[6]

Richard Robson FAA FRS
Born	(1937-06-04) 4 June 1937 (age 88) Glusburn, England, UK
Education	Brasenose College, Oxford (BA, DPhil)
Known for	Coordination polymers Metal-organic frameworks
Awards	Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2025)
Scientific career
Fields	Inorganic chemistry
Institutions	University of Melbourne
Thesis	Some Studies on the Ultraviolet Irradiation of Charge-Transfer Complexes and Related Systems[1]
Website	findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/15996-richard-robson

Early life and education

Robson was born in Glusburn in West Yorkshire (now North Yorkshire) in the UK on 4 June 1937,^[7][8] and read chemistry at Brasenose College^[9] in the University of Oxford (BA 1959, DPhil 1962).^[10][7] For his doctoral research, Robson worked on the photochemistry of organic molecules with Brasenose College chemist J.A. Barltrop,^[11] in the Dyson Perrins Laboratory of the University of Oxford.^[12]

He undertook postdoctoral research at the California Institute of Technology^[10] 1962–64 and at Stanford University^[10] 1964–65, before taking up a Lectureship in chemistry at the University of Melbourne in 1966, where he remained for the duration of his career.^[10]

Research

Richard Robson's groundbreaking research is in the field of coordination polymers, particularly in the infinite polymeric framework,^[3] later termed as metal–organic frameworks (MOFs).^[13] His journey into this field began in 1974 when he was tasked with building large wooden models of crystalline structures for first-year chemistry lectures.^[14] In the 1990s, Robson created a new class of coordination polymers that underpinned an entire modern field of chemistry.^[15] His approach involved using copper in the oxidation state known as copper I, which has a preference for tetrahedral geometry, and mixing it with a specially designed tetranitrile organic compound.^[15] This method resulted in the creation of crystal-like scaffolds with a diamond-like structure but with significant space within the framework.^[15]

Recognition

Robson is a recipient of the prestigious Burrows Award, Inorganic Division of The Royal Australian Chemical Institute 1998 and was made a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science 2000.^[16] In 2022, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.^[17]

Writings

• Hoskins, Bernard F.; Robson, Richard (1989). "Infinite polymeric frameworks consisting of three dimensionally linked rod-like segments". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 111 (15): 5962–5964. Bibcode:1989JAChS.111.5962H. doi:10.1021/ja00197a079. ISSN 0002-7863. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
• Hoskins, B. F.; Robson, Richard (1990). "Design and construction of a new class of scaffolding-like materials comprising infinite polymeric frameworks of 3D-linked molecular rods. A reappraisal of the zinc cyanide and cadmium cyanide structures and the synthesis and structure of the diamond-related frameworks [N(CH3)4][CuIZnII(CN)4] and CuI[4,4',4,4'-tetracyanotetraphenylmethane]BF4.xC6H5NO2". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 112 (4): 1546–1554. Bibcode:1990JAChS.112.1546H. doi:10.1021/ja00160a038. ISSN 0002-7863. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
• Batten, Stuart R.; Robson, Richard (5 June 1998). "Einander durchdringende Netze: geordnete, periodische Verschlingung". Angewandte Chemie (in German). 110 (11): 1558–1595. Bibcode:1998AngCh.110.1558B. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1521-3757(19980605)110:11<1558::AID-ANGE1558>3.0.CO;2-7. ISSN 0044-8249. Retrieved 8 October 2025.