Henri Kagan, Kenso Soai Win Nobel Chemistry Prize for ‘Mirror Image’ Work
A tiny difference between two molecules can have a surprisingly big impact. Two molecules may look almost identical, yet one can help a medicine work while its mirror-image counterpart behaves very differently. That unusual feature, known as chirality , has puzzled scientists for more than a century. In 2026, French chemist Henri B. Kagan and Japanese chemist Kenso Soai were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering how chemical reactions can favor one mirror-image form over another. Their work has helped explain how nature can develop a strong preference for one molecular “hand” and has become important in pharmaceutical chemistry. Table of Contents Sr# Headings 1 Why Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai Won the Nobel Prize 2 What Are Mirror-Image Molecules? 3 The Mystery of Molecular Handedness 4 What Is Homochirality? 5 Henri Kagan’s Breakthrough 6 Kenso Soai Takes the Idea Further 7 The Power of Autocatalysis 8 Why This Discovery Matters for Medicine 9 The Thalidomide Lesson ...