Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking research on non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. This discovery sheds light on the emergence of homochirality, a long-standing chemical mystery.
Heiner Linke, head of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, commended Kagan and Soai for their significant contributions, stating that their chemical reactions have been instrumental in the development of pharmaceutical manufacturing processes.
Kagan, a 95-year-old French national, is associated with the Université Paris-Saclay in Orsay, France, while Soai, born in Japan in 1950, conducts research at the Tokyo University of Science. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the laureates in Stockholm, with the prize amounting to 12 million Swedish crowns ($1.7 million Cdn).
The discovery by Kagan and Soai has enabled chemists to manipulate reactions to produce specific mirror-image molecules, which is crucial in pharmaceutical design. Soai expressed his excitement upon receiving the news, highlighting it as one of the most thrilling moments of his life.
The Nobel Prize in Literature will be revealed on Thursday, followed by the peace prize on Friday, and the economics prize on October 12. The prestigious Nobel prizes will be formally awarded on December 10, in accordance with Alfred Nobel’s will, which established the prizes to honor those who have made significant contributions to humanity.
