Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences revealed the laureates in Stockholm, with the winners sharing a prize of 12 million Swedish crowns ($1.7 million Cdn).
The Nobel Committee for Chemistry praised Kagan and Soai for unraveling a chemical mystery dating back over a century: the spontaneous emergence of homochirality. Kagan, a 95-year-old native of France, is associated with Université Paris-Saclay in Orsay, while Soai, born in Japan in 1950, conducts research at the Tokyo University of Science.
The prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature is set to be disclosed on Thursday, followed by the peace prize on Friday, and the economics prize on October 12. The awards ceremony, honoring individuals who have made significant contributions to humanity, will take place on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s passing. Nobel, a Swedish chemist and businessman, specified in his will that his estate should be used to establish prizes for those who have made outstanding advancements in the previous year.
