Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai Win 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has 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.” The two laureates share the prize equally, each receiving half.

FAKTA

• Laureates: Henri B. Kagan (France) and Kenso Soai (Japan) — prize share 1/2 each.
• Citation: “for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis.”
• Announced: 7 October 2026 by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
• Prize money: 12 million Swedish kronor, shared equally between the two laureates.
• Kagan: discovered non-linear effects — a new way of steering chemical reactions to create a greater excess of one mirror-image molecule than was previously thought possible.
• Soai: designed the first chemical reaction in which only one of the potential mirror images was formed — the famous Soai reaction.

Chemistry’s asymmetric mystery solved

Some molecules, such as amino acids, exist as two variants that are each other’s mirror image. Living organisms, however, only contain one of these mirror images. How such chemical asymmetry could have emerged was long a mystery to chemists — and it is this puzzle that Kagan and Soai have solved, according to the Academy.

Henri Kagan’s breakthrough

Henri Kagan discovered a new way of manipulating chemical reactions, allowing chemists to create a greater excess of one of the mirror images 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.

The Soai reaction

Kenso Soai 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 described as one of the most spectacular chemical experiments ever conducted.

Conclusion

With the 2026 Chemistry Nobel, the Academy honours discoveries that changed how chemists understand and control one of nature’s most fundamental asymmetries — with far-reaching consequences for medicine, materials and our understanding of life itself.

2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry — questions and answers

Who won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry?
Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai, sharing the prize equally.

What did they discover?
Non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis — solving the mystery of how chemical asymmetry emerges.

What is the Soai reaction?
The first chemical reaction in which only one of two possible mirror-image molecules was formed.

Why does it matter?
Kagan’s work revolutionised how chemists develop reactions for pharmaceuticals, flavours, scents and new materials, while the Soai reaction showed how a single mirror image can emerge on its own.

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