Nobel Chemistry Prize 2026 Goes to Kagan and Soai

Stockholm (GNP): Scientists Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai have won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The award-giving body announced the decision on Wednesday at a press conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm.

The pair were honoured for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis.

The chemistry prize is always the third to be announced in Nobel week. It followed the medicine prize on Monday and the physics prize on Tuesday.

Heiner Linke, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, described this year’s award as a recognition of foundational chemistry.

He explained the idea through the human hand: many molecules exist in two versions that are mirror images of each other. They look alike, but one cannot be placed exactly on top of the other. Such molecules are called chiral, from the Greek word for hand.

The prize carries 12 million Swedish crowns, about $1.2 million, which the laureates share. They will receive their medals from Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. A banquet at Stockholm City Hall follows the ceremony.

The prize traces back to Nobel’s will. The Swedish inventor and businessman was a chemist by trade and built his fortune in the 19th century on inventions tied mainly to warfare, most notably dynamite.

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The prizes for science, literature and peace have been awarded since 1901, with a few interruptions mostly caused by the world wars. The economics prize came later and is funded by the Swedish central bank. The peace prize is the only one not presented in Sweden and is awarded separately in Oslo.

Chemistry is sometimes overshadowed by the physics, literature and peace awards, yet it has recognised influential discoveries such as nuclear fission and genetic sequencing techniques. Last year’s prize went to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi for developing metal-organic frameworks, molecular constructions that can help tackle challenges such as climate change and a lack of fresh water.

Linke said, “Many molecules occur in two different versions.”