Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 awarded to Henri B Kagan and Kenso Soai for work on asymmetric organic synthesis
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Wednesday awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Henri B Kagan and Kenso Soai ‘for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis.’ In the heart of their work, there is a strange property called chirality, or chemical “handedness.” Interestingly, the prize money of this year is 12 million Swedish kronor (about $1.2 million), whether for an individual, a small group of laureates, or an organisation.
Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai provided a solution to chemical mystery
“Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai have provided a solution to a chemical mystery that is over a century old: how homochirality can emerge spontaneously. The chemical reactions they have developed are spectacular,” said Heiner Linke, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.
Three scientists last year won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Three scientists last year won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their development of new molecular structures that can trap vast quantities of gas inside, laying the groundwork to potentially suck greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere or harvest moisture from desert environments.The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 recognises discoveries that have enabled chemists to drive chemical reactions that lead to homochirality.
Henri Kagan took the first decisive step in 1986, when he discovered a new way of manipulating chemical reactions. This allowed him to create a greater excess of one of the mirror images than had previously been thought possible.
Kenso Soai took the next step, and in 1995, a key publication describes how he designed the first-ever chemical reaction that had the potential to be homochiral. In 2003, he finally succeeded. He presented a reaction in which only one of the two possible mirror images was formed. Other than life itself, no one had previously achieved this feat.
Know all about Henri B Kagan
2026 Nobel Prize laureate Henri Kagan discovered a new way of manipulating chemical reactions, allowing a greater excess of one of the mirror images to be created than was previously assumed possible. His discovery has been revolutionary for chemists who develop reactions for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, flavours, scents, and new materials.
Know all about Kenso Soai
Kenso Soai – awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry – designed the first chemical reaction in which only one of the potential mirror images was formed. Other than life itself, no one had ever achieved this feat. The Soai reaction is one of the most spectacular chemical experiments ever conducted.
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Nobel Prize in Medicine 2026 awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel
