chemistry

Richard Robson (chemist)

Richard Robson (chemist) is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Richard Robson (chemist) rather than just read about it. In short: Richard Robson (born 4 June 1937) is an English and Australian chemist and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne. Robson specialises in coordination polymers, particularly metal-organic frameworks.

Key takeaways

Richard Robson (chemist) belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
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Reproduce the core statement of Richard Robson (chemist) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Richard Robson (born 4 June 1937) is an English and Australian chemist and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne. Robson specialises in coordination polymers, particularly metal-organic frameworks. He has been described as "a pioneer in crystal engineering involving transition metals". In 2025, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry jointly with Susumu Kitagawa and Omar M. Yaghi for the development of metal-organic frameworks.

Early life and education Robson was born in Glusburn, West Yorkshire (now North Yorkshire), England, on 4 June 1937. He read chemistry at Brasenose College, Oxford, earning a BA in 1959 and a DPhil in 1962. His doctoral research, supervised by John A. Barltrop at the Dyson Perrins Laboratory, focused on the photochemistry of organic molecules. Robson conducted postdoctoral research at the California Institute of Technology (1962–64) and Stanford University (1964–65) under Henry Taube before accepting a lectureship in chemistry at the University of Melbourne in 1966, where he remained for the rest of his career.

Research Richard Robson's groundbreaking research established foundational principles in the field of coordination polymers, particularly for infinite polymeric frameworks—later termed metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). His interest in the field was sparked in 1974 while constructing large wooden models of crystalline structures for first-year chemistry lectures. In the 1990s, Robson created a new class of coordination polymers that underpinned an entire modern field of chemistry. His innovative approach used copper(I), which favours a tetrahedral geometry, in combination with a custom-designed tetranitrile organic linker. This method produced crystalline scaffolds with a diamond-like structure but with significant, engineered void space within the framework.

Honors and awards

Robson received the Burrows Award from the Inorganic Division of The Royal Australian Chemical Institute in 1998 and was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2000. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2022. Robson shared the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his early contribution to the field of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs).

Personal life His daughter is former TV presenter Naomi Robson.

Selected publications 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 (19 June 1998). "Interpenetrating Nets: Ordered, Periodic Entanglement". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 37 (11): 1460–1494. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1521-3773(19980619)37:11<1460::AID-ANIE1460>3.0.CO;2-Z. Retrieved 8 October 2025.

References

External links

Richard Robson on Nobelprize.org

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Richard Robson (chemist)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Richard Robson (chemist) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Richard Robson (chemist) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Richard Robson (chemist) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Richard Robson (chemist)

In research: Richard Robson (chemist) appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Richard Robson (chemist) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Richard Robson (chemist) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1937 births, 20th-century Australian chemists, 21st-century Australian chemists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Richard Robson (chemist) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Richard Robson (chemist) in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Richard Robson (chemist) in simple terms?

Why does Richard Robson (chemist) matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Richard Robson (chemist)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

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It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Richard Robson (chemist).