Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai have been awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discovery of nonlinear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the award on Wednesday (October 7) in Stockholm, Sweden.
Henri Kagan is affiliated with the Université Paris-Sud in Orsay, France, while 95-year-old Kenso Soai is associated with the Tokyo University of Science in Japan.
Last year, three scientists received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. They were honored for developing a new type of molecular structure capable of storing vast amounts of gas. Such structures could potentially be used in the future to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and harvest moisture from the air in desert regions.
The announcement of this year’s Nobel Prizes began with the award for Medicine. Last Monday, three scientists were honored for developing a technology that uses light to open up new avenues for understanding brain activity.
Subsequently, on Tuesday, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for contributions toward unraveling the mysteries of a rare type of neutrino.
The Nobel Prize in Literature will be announced on Thursday, followed by the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences will be announced next Monday.
The monetary value of the Nobel Prize this year is 12 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to approximately 1.2 million US dollars. The prize money remains the same regardless of whether the award goes to a single individual, multiple laureates, or an institution.
