Henri B Kagan
In short
Henri B. Kagan is an emeritus professor at the Université Paris-Saclay and a Nobel Prize winner. He is in the news today because he has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in chemistry alongside Kenso Soai for their work on asymmetric synthesis.
Who they are now
He is an emeritus professor at the Université Paris-Saclay in France. He is a renowned chemist recognised for his pioneering work in asymmetric catalysis.
Why they are in the news
He is trending because he was announced as a winner of the 2026 Nobel Prize in chemistry for resolving mysteries regarding mirror-image chemical molecules.
An example of their work
He discovered non-linear effects and autocatalysis in chemical reactions. This work allows chemists to better design reactions for creating specific mirror-image molecules used in medicines.
Sources
- Henri B. Kagan
- Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded to Kagan and Soai for research solving ‘mirror image’ mystery
- Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai for developing ‘spectacular’ chemical reactions
- Nobel Prize in chemistry 2026 goes to Henri B Kagan and Kenso Soai for asymmetric synthesis discoveries