# Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai Win 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for Asymmetric Synthesis

*2026-10-17 10:00 UTC · Science · 1 min read*

> The prize honors non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis, work on how molecular handedness can arise.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai, shared equally, "for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis." The announcement came on October 7.

The work concerns chirality, the mirror-image property of many molecules. Nobel Committee chair Heiner Linke called it "foundational chemistry"; the laureates showed how small imbalances between mirror-image forms can be amplified, shedding light on how chemical asymmetry may have emerged, a long-standing puzzle.

Each laureate receives half of the 12 million Swedish kronor prize (about $1.2 million). The medals will be presented in Stockholm on December 10.

## Sources

- [nobelprize.org](https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2026/)
- [khaleejtimes.com](https://www.khaleejtimes.com/world/henri-kagan-kenso-soai-win-2026-nobel-chemistry-prize)

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