In Stockholm, the laureates of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry have been announced. Researchers have been appreciated for developing asymmetric organocatalysis. The laureates are German chemist Benjamin List and his British colleague David MacMillan.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the decision on Wednesday, October 6.
«Building molecules is a difficult art. Benjamin List and David MacMillan are awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021 for their development of a precise new tool for molecular construction: organocatalysis. This has had a great impact on pharmaceutical research, and has made chemistry greener,» the academy stated in a press release.
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List works at the Max Planck Institute of Coal Research in Germany, while MacMillan is a professor at the Princeton University in the US.
British chemist David MacMillan. Photo: AFP/SCANPIX
Organocatalysis has developed at an astounding speed since 2000. Benjamin List and David MacMillan remain leaders in the field, and have shown that organic catalysts can be used to drive multitudes of chemical reactions. Using these reactions, researchers can now more efficiently construct anything from new pharmaceuticals to molecules that can capture light in solar cells. In this way, organocatalysts are bringing the greatest benefit to humankind, according to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Winners of Nobel Prize in Chemistry announced
