News & Press

2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007

2016


Science Café: Combatting Chemical Warfare with Nanotechnology
Omar Farha will talk about ways nanotechnology is being used to break down some of the most harmful chemicals in a presentation at the Skokie Public Library, Wendesday, January 13th.
Read More

2015


Professor Farha receives RSC Early Career Award
Research Professor Omar Farha is the 2015 Royal Society of Chemistry Early Career Award Winner in the Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division for seminal contributions to the development of catalysis, storage and separations by metal-organic frameworks. Read More

Research team Lead By Professor Farha synthesized and tested a Catalyst capable of Destroying Common Toxic Nerve Agents Quickly
Material could be used one day to destroy stockpiles of deadly chemical weapons.
Read the Fox News Article
Read the Northwestern News Story
Read the Science Article
Read the Nature Materials Journal Article

Farha will give the main talk at the annual AIChE/ACS joint meeting "Bioinspired Sponges: Functional Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)"

“Scientists tout breakthrough in chemical weapons battle
Northwestern News Center “CATALYST DESTROYS COMMON TOXIC NERVE AGENTS QUICKLY”
New compound quickly disables chemical weapons
Metal framework zaps nerve agents
Catalyst Destroys Common Toxic Nerve Agents Quickly
Catalyst destroys common toxic nerve agents quickly
New compound destroys chemical weapons faster than ever
A New Synthetic Compound Can Neutralize Chemical Weapons in Minutes
Metal-organic framework quickly destroys toxic nerve agents
Novel Material Destroys Chemical Warfare Agents Soman, VX in Minutes
Solid Catalyst Quickly Neutralizes Chemical Weapons
Catalyst destroys common toxic nerve agents quickly
Porous detox for chemical weapons
New catalyst material quickly neutralizes nerve gas

Prof. Farha to gives 2015 M. Frederick Hawthorne Lecture at UCLA
Research Professor Omar Farha will give the 2015 M. Frederick Hawthorne Lecture at UCLA on April 1st, 2015. The title of the Lecture is "Bioinspired Sponges: Functional Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)." UCLA Event Page

The Omar Farha Award was given to Prof. Massimiliano Delferro.

2014


Building A Better Gas Mask: Driven by materials chemistry, today’s masks provide ever-broader respiratory protection

Farha’s work highlighted in Nature “Molecular sponges store oxygen”

Profs Joseph Hupp’s and Omar Farha’s team has developed “New synthetics lead to new ways to destroy nerve agents”

Additional Advances in CO2 Fixation
Scientific American Briefings “Molecular sponges store oxygen”, November 10 issue.

New Article Published in JoVE:

Professor Omar Farha has been published in the “2014 Worlds Most Influential Scientific Minds” Book. See the list

Professor Omar Farha has been selected as a Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher. See the list


Associate Editor of Carbon Capture, Storage, and Utilization, a specialty of Frontiers in Energy Research

Hupp/Farha Group Student Dana Cao Wins 1st Prize for Perovskite Solar Cells poster at HOPV14. Read more about the meeting

Prof. Farha to Speak at the 2014 Northwestern Climate Change Symposium
Prof. Omar Farha will be one of several speakers at the 4th annual Northwestern Climate Change Symposium, presented by the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and the  Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN). The Symposium with take place on May 16th. Learn more.

The Omar Farha Award was given to Keith Brown and Joseph Mondloch.

NuMat Technologies was selected to be a part of The State of Illinois (USA ) delegate for the Japan Nano tech 2014.

2013


Highly Holey: MOFs with Record-Breaking Surface Areas

Check out cover: O. K. Farha and C. E. Wilmer, “Metal-organic Frameworks,” American Crystallographic Association, 2013, Fall, 3.

Northwestern University Research Annual Report, “New Materials Lead to New Science, and New Science Leads to New Technology,” 2013, page 30

JACS Spotlights- “FINE-TUNING THE FORMATION OF CATALYST-INCORPORATED MICROPORES” (August, 2013)

Chemical & Engineering News- “Porous Organic Polymers Tackle Toxic Pollutants” (August, 2013)

Chemical & Engineering News- “Method Adds Metals To Frameworks Selectively” (July, 2013)

Chicago Sun-Times - “NuMat Wants You To Fill Up Your Car At Home - And Turn America Into An Energy Exporter” (July, 2013)http://www.talkingbiznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Crains-Chicago.jpg

Northwestern nanotech startup lands $2 million” (June, 2013)
http://www.pehub.com/wp-content/themes/PEHub_Universe/images/logo.png
NuMat Technologies Raises $2 M in Seed Funding” (June, 2013)
Venture Capital News Daily
NuMat Technologies Closes $2M Seed Round” (June, 2013)
http://www.mcdonald2013.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/the-wall-street-journal-logo.jpg
National Cleantech Competition Winner NuMat Technologies Announces Closing of $2.0 Million Seed Round” (June, 2013)

Chemistry World - “Sugar solution to toxic gold recovery” (May, 2013)

Chemical & Engineering News- “Sugary Structure Has Midas Touch” (May, 2013)

Northwestern News Center- “MAKING GOLD GREEN: NEW NON-TOXIC METHOD FOR MINING GOLD, Scientists launch ‘nano gold rush’ by replacing cyanide with cornstarch” (May, 2013)

International Mining- “A viable alternative to cyanide in gold recovery” (May, 2013)

Mother Nature Network- “Clean, cheap method for extracting gold discovered by accident” (May, 2013)

Terra Daily- “Making gold green: New non-toxic method for mining gold” (May, 2013)

Science Daily- “Making Gold Green: New Non-Toxic Method for Mining Gold” (May, 2013)

Evanston Now- “Making gold green: New non-toxic mining technique” (May, 2013)

PHYS.ORG- “Alpha-cyclodextrin is the gold medal winner” (May, 2013)

Micromeritics- “Micromeritics Announces Instrument Grant to the Department of Chemistry at the Northwestern University” (May, 2013)

Northwestern Research Newsletter- “Promising Startup” (May, 2013)

Chemistry Connection - “NuMat Technologies Capitalizes on Success” (April, 2013)

Entrepreneur - “Promising Green Startups Attracting Millions From Investors” (April, 2013)

CHEM EUROPE- “Gram-scale synthesis of new MOF material promises low-pressure methane storage” (March, 2013)

Chemistry Views - “Easing the Pressure on Gas Storage” (March, 2013)

Chemistry World - “High-capacity MOF shows clean fuel promise”  (March, 2013)

Chemistry World - “Removing toxic chemicals with POPs”  (March, 2013)

2012


Nature - "Mega-MOF's super surface" (Novomber, 2012) 

McCormick Magazine - "A Tale of Three Companies" (Novomber, 2012) 

http://www.bettergov.org/assets/1/Page/NBC-5-Chicago-logo.jpgNuMat Technologies Accepts Its Chicago Innovation Up-and-Comer Award” (October, 2012)

EES Blog - "Seminal Database Paves The Way For Future CO2 Capture Materials" (October, 2012) 

Planet Forward TV - "A Compressed, Natural Alternative at the Gas Pump" (October, 2012) 

Asharq Al-Awsat - “Research Professor Featured in Arabic Publication(September, 2012)

Popular Science - "Most Convoluted Crystal Ever Made Has Enough Surface Area To Cover A Desk" (September, 2012) 

R&D Magazine - "Researchers Set World Record for Highest Surface Area Material" (September, 2012) 

PhysicsToday - "Competition Boosts Clean-Energy Startups" (August, 2012) 

Chemistry World - "MOFs with Ultrahigh Surface Areas: Is the Sky the Limit?" (August, 2012) 

Chemical & Engineering News - "Competition Is The Kick That Gets These Entrepreneurs Going" (August, 2012) 

NASDAQ - "NuMat Technologies at NASDAQ Closing Bell Ceremony(July, 2012) 

MarketWatch - "Clean Energy Challenge Winner Takes $100,000 National Clean Energy Competition Title" (June, 2012) 

The Huffington Post - "Global Venture Labs Investment Competition at the University of Texas at Austin: NuMat Wins"(June, 2012) 

FORTUNE Magazine - "Hail to the Champions" (May, 2012) 

Northwestern News - "Business Pitches Win Big" (April, 2012) 

Chicago Business - Crain's Blogs - "How One Startup's Innovation Could Make Natural-Gas Vehicles More Viable" (March, 2012) 

Chicago Business - Crain's Blogs - "Two Midwest startups clean up at Clean Energy Challenge" (March, 2012) 

Medill Reports - "NU student entrepreneurs win $100,000 clean energy prize" (March, 2012) 

ISGTW - "Even molecules have their own waltz" (March, 2012) 

Northweste​rn Research Newsletter - "Research Video Wins Prize" (February, 2012)

Hive76 - "Blender used to Render cover of Nature Chemistry" (February, 2012)

Blender Nation - "Blender Used to Make Cover Art for Nature Chemistry" (February, 2012)

McCormick News - "Northwestern Research Video Wins Honorable Mention in International Challenge" (February, 2012)

Science (podcast) - "2011 Visualization Challenge Winners" (February, 2012)

Wired - "The 16 Best Science Visualizations of 2011" (February, 2012)

MSNBC - "Scientific Visions that Take the Prize" (February, 2012)

ScienceDaily - "One of the Most Porous Materials Ever Discovered" (January, 2012)

Journal of Petroleum Technology Online - "Metal Organic Frameworks Show Promise for Storage, Capture, and Separation Applications" (January, 2012)

McCormick - Chemical and Biological Engineering Newsletter - "More Promising Natural Gas Storage?" (January, 2012)

Trib Local - "Science Connections: Clean" (January, 2012)

Medill Reports - "Clean Energy Trust names Northwestern student teams as semifinalists" (January, 2012)

 Daily Northwestern - "Northwestern teams semifinalists in clean energy competition" (January, 2012)

MarketWatch - "Clean Energy Trust Announces Semifinalists for the Inaugural Student Clean Energy Challenge: $150,000 in Prizes to Be Awarded" (January, 2012)

Earth Techling - "May The Best Clean Energy Idea Win" (January, 2012)

MRS - "Large Vertices Dramatically Increase the Pore Volume of Metal-organic Frameworks" (January, 2012)

Nature Communications Featured Image - "Metal-adeninate vertices for the construction of an exceptionally porous metal-organic framework" (January, 2012)

2011


New Energy and Fuel - "A Better way to store Gas" (December, 2011)

Chemistry World - "Cutting Edge Chemistry in 2011" (December, 2011)

Northwestern- "Something New Under the Sun" (November, 2011)

Northwestern University-CenterPiece - "MOFs, Volume 11 (1), page 7" (November, 2011)

ScienceDaily – "More Promising Natural Gas Storage?"(November, 2011)

Oil and Gas Online - "More Promising Natural Gas Storage?" (November, 2011)

 Chemical & Engineering News - "Dial-A-MOF" (November, 2011)

R&D Magazine - "Faster Testing Method For Porous Crystals To Help Gas Storage Tech" (November, 2011)

Energy Daily - "More promising natural gas storage?" (November, 2011)

McCormick News - "More Promising Natural Gas Storage?" (November, 2011)

Futurity - "Algorithm Finds 300 Crystals to Store Methane" (November, 2011)

NanoWerk - "New Algorithm Identifies Promising Metal-Organic Frameworks for Natural Gas Storage" (November, 2011)

UPI - "Researchers 'Create' Crystals by Computer" (November, 2011)

R&D Magazine - "Porous Crystals For Natural Gas Storage" (November, 2011)

ScienceBlog - "More Promising Natural Gas Storage?" (November, 2011)

PhysOrg - "Porous Crystals For Natural Gas Storage" (November, 2011)

Supercomputing Online - "New Algorithm Accelerates 'Thought Experiments' for More Promising Natural Gas Storage" (November, 2011)

The Engineer - "Algorithm said to identify best natural-gas storage materials" (November, 2011)

Oil Word - "New Routine Removes Find Bottleneck By Identifying Materials With Promise" (November, 2011)

Green Car Congress - "New Large-Scale Screening Method For Hypothetical MOFs Accelerates Discovery Of Gas Storage Solutions By Identifying Materials With Promise" (November, 2011)

Chemistry World - "Predicting the Perfect MOF" (November, 2011)

SpectroscopyNOW - "Designer MOFs: Algorithm Calculates Likely Frameworks " (November, 2011)

Northwestern News Center - "Press Release- More Promising Natural Gas Storage?" (November, 2011)

Northwestern University President ,Morton O. Schapiro - "Omar Farha Receives 2011 Safety Award"  (October, 2011)

Northwestern University Chemistry Department - "The 1st Annual Omar Farha Award for Research Leadership"  (October, 2011)

ScienceBase - "An inner space odyssey" (October, 2011)

NSF International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge - "High density energy storage using self-assembled materials (September, 2011)

Science - "Editor’s Choice-Stuffing your struts" (August,  2011)

Northwestern University-CenterPiece - "Manipulating Materials for Carbon Dioxide Cleanup, Volume 10 (2), 16-17" (May, 2011)

Crystal Growth & Design - "Structures of the Week" (April, 2011)

Frontiers in Energy Research - "A Simpler Way to an Efficient Solar Cell, New method yields better solar cells and eliminates cumbersome fabrication steps"  (September, 2011)

Angewandte Chemie International Edition - "Click Chemistry Finds Its Way into Covalent Porous Organic Materials" (November, 2011)

2010


Northwestern University-Office for Research-Annual Report-Creating New Knowledge -"Nanoporous Materials for Fuel Tanks of the Future, page 45" (October, 2010)

Nature Chemistry - "Metal–organic frameworks: Model, make, measure" (October, 2010)

Chemistry Views – “Metallic Sponge” (September, 2010)

Accounts of Chemical research - "August Cover, The cover shows a metal−organic framework" (August, 2010)

Chemical & Engineering News - "Novel Redox Couples Could Aid Solar Cells" (April, 2010)

2009


Nature Chemistry - "Metal–organic frameworks: Improving pore performance" (February, 2009)

Chemistry World - "Magic MOFs" (February, 2009)

Chemical & Engineering News - "MOF Housekeeping Improves" (January, 2009)

2008


Nature Chemistry - "Gas separation: Marvelous MOFs" (July, 2008)

Chemical & Engineering News - "Gravity-purified MOFs" (June, 2008)

2007


ScienceDaily- "Controlling Damaging Protein Plaques Without Side-Effects: Research Could Improve Alzheimer's Medication" (April, 2007)

NEWS Medical - "Researchers study the possible use of carboranes: When protein plaque builds up in the blood, it can result in serious diseases such as heart disease and Alzheimer's" (April, 2007)

ChemLin - "Discovery of New Family of Pseudo-Metallic Chemicals Changes How Scientists Fight Disease, Create Electronic Materials" (May, 2007)