Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai Win 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

On October 7, 2026, Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden. Their groundbreaking work involved the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis, resolving a chemical mystery over a century old related to homochirality.

“Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai have provided a solution to a chemical mystery that is over a century old: how homochirality can emerge spontaneously,” stated Heiner Linke, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, in a news release. “The chemical reactions they have developed are spectacular.”

Their contributions have been pivotal for chemists, particularly in the design of reactions for producing pharmaceuticals. Kagan, associated with Université Paris-Sud in Orsay, France, and Soai, 95 years old and a native of Japan, affiliated with the Tokyo University of Science, have made immense contributions to the field. Notably, the “Soai reaction” bears the name of one of the laureates due to its significance and experimental origins.

The prize announcement took place in Stockholm, with recognition of last year’s Nobel in Chemistry, awarded to three scientists who developed molecular structures capable of capturing large amounts of gas, potentially aiding in efforts to reduce greenhouse gases or harvest atmospheric moisture.

This year, Nobel Prizes commenced with the Medicine Prize awarded for the use of light in brain research, followed by the Physics Prize focusing on neutrinos. The Literature Prize will be announced on Thursday, the Peace Prize on Friday, and the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences on Monday.

The prize money for the awards this year stands at 12 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1.2 million). This sum can be distributed to an individual, several laureates, or an organization.