Henri B. Kagan
born 1930 · France · Born 1900–1939
Nobel Chemistry 2026
French organic chemist who established nonlinear effects in asymmetric synthesis: catalyst enantiomeric composition can produce a disproportionately large or small product enantiomeric excess. Awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Kenso Soai.
Nobel-winning work
Kagan’s nonlinear effects showed that catalyst enantiomeric composition and product enantiomeric excess need not be proportional; catalyst association can make a small chiral catalyst imbalance produce a much larger or smaller product imbalance.