Kagan and Soai Win Chemistry Nobel for Advances in Molecular “Handedness”

Chemists Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai have won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discoveries that help explain how chemical reactions can favour one mirror-image form of a molecule over another.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences recognised their work on “non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis.” The prize is shared by the two scientists.

Some molecules exist in two forms that are mirror images of each other, much like a left hand and a right hand. This property is called chirality. The two forms may interact differently with living systems, which makes it important for researchers to control which form a chemical reaction produces.

Kagan’s research showed how a small imbalance in a catalyst’s molecular “handedness” could be amplified, leading a reaction to produce more of one mirror-image form. Soai later demonstrated a reaction in which the product also acts as a catalyst, helping generate more of itself and increasing the imbalance.

Their work offers insight into a longstanding scientific question: how reactions might come to favour one molecular form. It does not, by itself, establish exactly how life’s molecular patterns first emerged. Researchers continue to investigate how these chemical processes relate to the origins of life.

The discoveries also have practical value. Chemists use asymmetric synthesis to make molecules in a preferred form, including compounds used in medicines, materials, flavours and fragrances. Because mirror-image molecules can behave differently in the body, greater control over their production can help pharmaceutical researchers design and manufacture compounds more selectively.

The award highlights how basic research into molecular structure can influence both scientific understanding and the development of useful products.