Premiul Nobel pentru Chimie 2026, acordat cercetătorilor Henri Kagan și Kenso Soai. Au rezolvat un mister vechi de peste un secol

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai for their discoveries related to nonlinear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. Their research addressed the long-standing question of how homochirality arises spontaneously, a key property in the chemistry of life. This has significant implications for drug manufacturing, as different chiral forms of molecules can have varying biological effects. Kagan's breakthrough in 1986 allowed for the preferential production of one chiral form, while Soai's work in 2003 demonstrated a reaction that exclusively produced one form. Their findings provide essential tools for chemists in pharmaceutical development.