A. Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier
B. Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai
C. Carolyn Bertozzi and Morten Meldal
D. Moungi Bawendi and Louis Brus
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded jointly to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai for their discoveries concerning non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. Their work advanced the understanding of how chemical reactions can favour one mirror-image form of a molecule over another.
This research is important because molecules with different mirror-image structures can behave differently in living organisms. Understanding and controlling these differences can help chemists develop medicines and other useful chemical compounds more precisely.