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Scientists Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai have been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the award in Stockholm on Wednesday.
Their research has helped explain how certain chemical reactions can favour the production of one particular form of a molecule over another.
Such advances are important in chemical synthesis, including the development of pharmaceuticals and other biologically active compounds.
Kagan is affiliated with Université Paris-Sud in Orsay, France, while Soai, 95, is associated with the Tokyo University of Science.
The two laureates will share the Nobel Prize money of 12 million Swedish kronor, worth about $1.2 million.