The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to Henri Kagan, Professor Emeritus of Université Paris-Saclay
Henri Kagan, Professor Emeritus of Université Paris-Saclay, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of nonlinear effects in asymmetric synthesis, work he carried out at the Orsay Institute of Molecular Chemistry and Materials (Université Paris-Saclay/CNRS). He shares the award with Japanese chemist Kenso Soai for his work on autocatalysis in organic chemistry. The Nobel Committee praised their discoveries, which “have played a decisive role for chemists designing reactions to manufacture pharmaceutical products”.
Henri Kagan, Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Sciences of Orsay at Université Paris-Saclay, spent a large part of his career within the Molecular Catalysis team at the Orsay Institute of Molecular Chemistry and Materials (Université Paris-Saclay/CNRS), conducting research into molecular chirality.
He played an active role in the discovery of asymmetric catalysis, an efficient and selective synthesis method that makes it possible to produce chiral molecules, which are essential to the development of medicines, among other applications.
Chiral molecules are also found in the components of molecules that are essential to life. How did they first appear on Earth? Henri Kagan’s work on nonlinear effects in asymmetric catalysis helped provide answers to this question through the conceptualisation and demonstration of the amplification of molecular asymmetry.
He has been a member of the French Academy of Sciences since 1991 and was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (HonFRSC) in 2002. His many distinctions include the CNRS Silver Medal in 1974, the Grand Prix du Rayonnement Français for Science in 1989 and the Prelog Medal in 1990
In 2001, Henri Kagan was awarded the Wolf Prize, one of the most prestigious international prizes in the field. Among the highest distinctions he has received are the Benjamin Franklin Medal in 2005 and the Lavoisier Medal in 2013. Henri Kagan was made a Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite in 1996 and of the Légion d’honneur in 2002.
“I am particularly pleased and proud to congratulate Henri Kagan, Professor Emeritus of Université Paris-Saclay and recipient of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The work for which he has been honoured by the Nobel Committee is part of the tradition established by the university’s great pioneers in chemistry, such as Irène Joliot-Curie and Frédéric Joliot-Curie, who moved to Orsay in the late 1950s to develop pioneering research infrastructure. This tradition of excellence was already accompanied by a strong focus on the practical applications of their discoveries in chemistry, particularly in the medical and pharmaceutical fields, as is the case with Henri Kagan’s work. What a remarkable legacy.”
“The awarding of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Henri Kagan, Professor Emeritus of Université Paris-Saclay, is a tremendous source of pride for French research as a whole, and in particular for the Orsay Institute of Molecular Chemistry and Materials, which is also affiliated with CNRS. His pioneering work on chirality and asymmetric catalysis has profoundly transformed the way we conceive and synthesise molecules, with major applications, particularly in the pharmaceutical field. This distinction is a reminder of the strength of fundamental research conducted in France, capable of generating discoveries that have a lasting impact on chemistry and its applications. On behalf of CNRS, I extend my warmest congratulations to Henri Kagan.”
“Henri Kagan’s original models are more relevant than ever today for developing new asymmetric catalytic reactions, beyond those that have already been industrialised. Studying nonlinear effects helps us understand their mechanisms and optimise asymmetric amplification phenomena. This makes it possible to prepare chiral molecules using the most economical and sustainable methods, with research teams at ICMMO still working on these topics.”
