Two scientists, Benjamin List and David MacMillan have won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. They won the award for their development of asymmetric organocatalysis. This is a scientific process that involves building molecules that are mirror images of one another. Benjamin List is a German scientist while David MacMillan is from Scotland, UK.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences selects the awardees of the Nobel Prizes. They said that List and MacMillan’s work involved organic catalysts that can be used to drive multitudes (many) of chemical reactions. These catalysts are also environmentally friendly and cheap to produce.

What is a catalyst?

A catalyst is a substance that makes a chemical reaction happen faster.

The two scientists’ research has made it much easier to produce asymmetric molecules. These chemicals exist in two versions, where one is a mirror image of the other. These molecules are very useful to create medicines but are hard to produce.

List and MacMillan’s work is also helpful in making molecules that can capture light in solar cells.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry

While the Nobel Prizes are generally presented in December in Stockholm, Sweden, this year, they will receive them in their home countries. Last year, in a historic first, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to two women scientists.

Tomorrow, they will announce the Nobel Prize in Literature.

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