Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai win 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for asymmetric synthesis
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to French chemist Henri Kagan and Japanese chemist Kenso Soai for their discovery of nonlinear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the prize in Stockholm on October 7, 2026, noting the work solves a decades-old puzzle about how mirror-image molecules form asymmetrically in living organisms. The prize is endowed with 12 million Swedish kronor, increased for the 125th anniversary of the Nobel Prize. The announcement was made by Ellen Moons, the first female Secretary General of the Academy.
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Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai for chirality work
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2026 has been awarded to Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai for their pioneering work on mirror-image molecules, also known as chemical asymmetry or chirality. The announcement was covered by multiple major news outlets including BBC, The New York Times, The Guardian, Bloomberg, and Chemistry World. The laureates were recognized for their contributions to understanding and controlling the handedness of molecules, a fundamental concept in chemistry with significant implications for pharmaceuticals and materials science. The award highlights the importance of asymmetric synthesis in modern chemistry.
Read sourceHenri Kagan and Kenso Soai win 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai for their work on mirror-image molecules, according to multiple news reports. Reuters, The New York Times, The Guardian, Bloomberg, and Chemistry World all report that the two scientists share the prize for untangling chemical asymmetry. The award recognizes their contributions to understanding and controlling chirality in chemical reactions, a fundamental concept in chemistry with implications for pharmaceuticals and materials science. The announcement was covered live by Chemistry World. The prize is shared between the two laureates.
Read source2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai for asymmetric synthesis discoveries
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to French chemist Henri Kagan (Université Paris-Sud) and Japanese chemist Kenso Soai (Tokyo University of Science) for their discovery of nonlinear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis, as announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. The academy stated that their discoveries were crucial for chemists developing foundations for pharmaceutical manufacturing. The prize is endowed with 12 million Swedish kronor (approximately one million euros), an increase from previous years to mark the 125th anniversary of the Nobel Prize. In a historic first, the announcement was made by Ellen Moons, the first female Secretary General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences since its founding in 1739. The article also notes that the 2025 Chemistry Nobel was awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi for metal-organic frameworks, and that the 2026 Medicine Nobel went to Peter Hegemann, Georg Nagel, and Karl Deisseroth for optogenetics, while the Physics Nobel was awarded to Francis Halzen for contributions to the IceCube neutrino observatory.
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Nobel Prize in Chemistry Awarded to French and Japanese Researchers for Asymmetric Synthesis
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2026 has been awarded to French researcher Henri Kagan and Japanese researcher Kenso Soai, as announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. The prize recognizes their discovery of nonlinear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. This work is fundamental to the field of chemistry, enabling more efficient and selective production of chiral molecules, which are important in pharmaceuticals and other applications. The announcement was made on October 7, 2026, and reported by the German newspaper Die Welt, citing the German news agency dpa. The article is a brief initial report, noting that more details would follow.
Read source2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Awarded to Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai for Asymmetric Synthesis Breakthrough
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to French researcher Henri Kagan (Université Paris-Sud) and Japanese researcher Kenso Soai (Tokyo University of Science) for their discovery of nonlinear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the prize in Stockholm, noting that their work solves a decades-old chemical puzzle: how molecules that exist as mirror-image variants (like amino acids) can form asymmetrically in living organisms, which only contain one variant. This discovery is crucial for developing new pharmaceuticals. The prize is worth 12 million Swedish kronor (approximately 1 million euros), increased this year to mark the 125th anniversary of the Nobel Prize. For the first time in the Academy's history, the announcement was made by a woman, Secretary-General Ellen Moons. The article also summarizes other 2026 Nobel Prize winners: Medicine to Peter Hegemann, Georg Nagel, and Karl Deisseroth for optogenetics; Physics to Francis Halzen for contributions to the IceCube neutrino observatory.
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