2026 Nobel Chemistry Prize awarded to Kagan and Soai for asymmetric synthesis
In short
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai for discovering nonlinear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the prize on Oct. 7, and reports said the winners will share 12 million Swedish kronor, about 8.02 million yuan. Kagan is 95, and reports said he missed the Nobel in 2001 while two researchers who shared a Wolf Prize with him later received it.
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The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai for discovering nonlinear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced. Huxiu reported the announcement was made at 11:45 Central European Time, or 17:45 Beijing time, on Oct. 7. CLS said the winners will split the 12 million Swedish kronor prize, about 8.02 million yuan; Huxiu put the amount at about 8.01 million yuan. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Kagan and Soai were recognized for work that helps explain why life uses single mirror forms of molecules, according to Huxiu and QbitAI. QbitAI described Kagan’s 1986 experiments showing a nonlinear effect: a mixed left-right catalyst was much less active, and product purity could exceed the purity of the catalyst itself. It said he reported three such reactions in JACS in 1986. [ 3 , 4 ]
QbitAI reported that Soai produced the first asymmetric autocatalytic reaction in 1995 using a chiral molecule called 5-pyrimidyl alkanol, which catalyzed its own formation; a 2% initial lead grew to 87%. In 2003, QbitAI said, Soai reported a version starting from achiral materials in which a tiny lead of about 0.00005% was amplified past 99.5% after repeated additions of raw material. [ 4 ]
Both Huxiu and QbitAI placed the work in the context of chirality, the property by which some molecules exist as mirror images. Huxiu said life is single-handed, with proteins’ amino acids left-handed and DNA sugars right-handed, and cited the 1960s thalidomide tragedy as an example of why controlling mirror form matters in drugs. [ 3 , 4 ]
QbitAI reported that Kagan is 95 and that he missed the Nobel in 2001 amid controversy, while Huxiu said two researchers who shared the Wolf Prize with him 25 years ago later received the Nobel. Huxiu also said Soai was born in Hiroshima in 1950 and was a visiting professor at Jilin University from 2010 to 2015, and that Chinese chemist Liu Ruqian had been widely expected to win this year. [ 3 , 4 ]
Huxiu reported that the Nobel Foundation set the 2026 prize at 12 million Swedish kronor per category, an increase of 1 million kronor from previous years, and that this year marks the 125th anniversary of the Nobel Prizes. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The award highlights fundamental work on how chemical reactions can favor one mirror form of a molecule, a problem with direct relevance to drugmaking, according to Huxiu and QbitAI. The documents link the research to the historical thalidomide tragedy and to efforts to make safer chiral medicines. The 125th anniversary of the Nobel Prizes also frames this year’s award.
Key facts
- The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The citation was for discovering nonlinear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The prize amount is 12 million Swedish kronor, with CLS reporting it as about 8.02 million yuan and Huxiu reporting about 8.01 million yuan. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Huxiu reported the announcement was made on Oct. 7 at 11:45 Central European Time, or 17:45 Beijing time. [ 2 ]
- Kagan is 95 years old, according to Huxiu and QbitAI. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Huxiu said Soai was born in Hiroshima in 1950 and was a visiting professor at Jilin University from 2010 to 2015. [ 3 ]
- QbitAI said Kagan’s 1986 JACS report described three reactions showing a nonlinear effect, in which product purity could exceed catalyst purity. [ 4 ]
- QbitAI said Soai reported the first asymmetric autocatalytic reaction in 1995 and a version in 2003 that amplified a tiny lead past 99.5%. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The award citation is for discoveries of nonlinear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The prize was announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. [ 2 , 4 ]
- The prize amount is 12 million Swedish kronor. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Kagan is 95 years old. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Kagan is affiliated with a French university, identified as Paris-Sud University in one report and Paris XI University in another, and Soai is affiliated with Tokyo University of Science. [ 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Kagan’s exact institutional name in English. Huxiu says Paris-Sud University while QbitAI says Paris XI University, which may be the same institution but the documents do not clarify.
- QbitAI says Kagan’s 2001 Nobel omission caused great controversy, and Huxiu says two Wolf Prize co-winners later received the Nobel while he did not. The documents do not give an official account of the controversy or further details.
- Soai was a visiting professor at Jilin University from 2010 to 2015. This claim appears only in Huxiu’s report.
- The winners will split the prize equally. CLS states the prize will be shared equally, while other reports give the total prize amount but do not specify the split.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is announced at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, according to Huxiu. [ 2 ]
- CLS publishes a report on the prize. [ 1 ]
- Huxiu publishes a report on the prize and the amount. [ 2 ]
- Huxiu publishes an explainer on chirality and the laureates. [ 3 ]
- QbitAI publishes a report focusing on Kagan’s wait and the science. [ 4 ]