Henri B. Kagan and Kensō Soai win the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on nonlinear effects and asymmetric catalysis

Life is remarkably selective. Life relies on many molecules with what is termed “handedness”—they’re chemically identical but are mirror images of each other. Most chemical reactions will make a 50/50 mix of the left- and right-handed forms of a chemical,

Henri Kagan and Kensō Soai designed chemical reactions producing only one of the two mirror-image forms of a molecule—an important finding for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and other biological substances. The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was ...

Scientists have helped solve a longstanding mystery about how Earth remained habitable after oxygen first accumulated in its atmosphere more than 2 billion years ago, providing evidence that ancient ocean chemistry sustained life-friendly conditions.

This year’s National Chemistry Week theme, “Chemistry Under Construction,” gives us an opportunity to explore the chemistry behind the materials that build our world—from concrete and steel to bricks and polymers.