https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2021/press-release/ Skip to content A button that allows you to close the search form if needed Close Mobile Menu The Nobel Prize Logo Toggle Mobile Menu * Nobel Prizes & Laureates + Physics Prize + Chemistry Prize + Medicine Prize + Literature Prize + Peace Prize + Prize in Economic Sciences + Quick facts * Nomination + Physics Prize + Chemistry Prize + Medicine Prize + Literature Prize + Peace Prize + Prize in Economic Sciences + Nomination Archive * Alfred Nobel + Alfred Nobel's life + Alfred Nobel's will * News & insights + Press + In-depth * Events + Public events o Nobel Prize Concert o Nobel Week Dialogue o Nobel Prize Dialogue o Nobel Prize Summit o Nobel Prize Inspiration Initiative + Nobel Prize award ceremonies * Education network + Nobel Prize Lessons + Nobel Prize Teacher Summit * A button that allows you to close the search form if needed Header Search [ ] Allows users to submit a search term * Chemistry * The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021 * Explore Press Release * Physics Prizes * Chemistry Prizes * Medicine Prizes * Literature Prizes * Peace Prizes * Prizes in Economic Sciences * Summary * Prize announcement * Press release * Popular information * Advanced information * Laureates * Benjamin List * David W.C. MacMillan Enhanced Page Navigation 1. Press release: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021 2. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021 3. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021 - Prize announcement The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021 * Benjamin List * David W.C. MacMillan Share this * Share this content on Facebook Facebook * Share this content on Twitter Twitter * Share this content on LinkedIn LinkedIn * Share this content via Email Email this page Press release: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021 English English (pdf) Swedish Swedish (pdf) Logo 6 October 2021 The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021 to Benjamin List Max-Planck-Institut fur Kohlenforschung, Mulheim an der Ruhr, Germany David W.C. MacMillan Princeton University, USA "for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis" An ingenious tool for building molecules 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. Many research areas and industries are dependent on chemists' ability to construct molecules that can form elastic and durable materials, store energy in batteries or inhibit the progression of diseases. This work requires catalysts, which are substances that control and accelerate chemical reactions, without becoming part of the final product. For example, catalysts in cars transform toxic substances in exhaust fumes to harmless molecules. Our bodies also contain thousands of catalysts in the form of enzymes, which chisel out the molecules necessary for life. Catalysts are thus fundamental tools for chemists, but researchers long believed that there were, in principle, just two types of catalysts available: metals and enzymes. Benjamin List and David MacMillan are awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021 because in 2000 they, independent of each other, developed a third type of catalysis. It is called asymmetric organocatalysis and builds upon small organic molecules. "This concept for catalysis is as simple as it is ingenious, and the fact is that many people have wondered why we didn't think of it earlier," says Johan Aqvist, who is chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry. Organic catalysts have a stable framework of carbon atoms, to which more active chemical groups can attach. These often contain common elements such as oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur or phosphorus. This means that these catalysts are both environmentally friendly and cheap to produce. The rapid expansion in the use of organic catalysts is primarily due to their ability to drive asymmetric catalysis. When molecules are being built, situations often occur where two different molecules can form, which - just like our hands - are each other's mirror image. Chemists will often only want one of these, particularly when producing pharmaceuticals. 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. Illustrations The illustrations are free to use for non-commercial purposes. Attribute "(c) Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences" Illustration: Limonene molecules (pdf) Illustration: Proline pdf) Illustration: Organocatalyst (pdf) Read more about this year's prize Popular science background: Their tools revolutionised the construction of molecules (pdf) Scientific Background: Enamine and iminium ion-mediated organocatalysis (pdf) Benjamin List, born 1968 in Frankfurt, Germany. Ph.D. 1997 from Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany. Director of the Max-Planck-Institut fur Kohlenforschung, Mulheim an der Ruhr, Germany. David W.C. MacMillan, born 1968 in Bellshill, UK. Ph.D. 1996 from University of California, Irvine, USA. Professor at Princeton University, USA. Prize amount: 10 million Swedish kronor, to be shared equally between the Laureates. Further information: www.kva.se and www.nobelprize.org Press contact: Eva Nevelius, Press Secretary, +46 70 878 67 63, eva.nevelius@kva.se Expert: Peter Somfai, +46 70 693 63 77, peter.somfai@chem.lu.se, the Nobel Committe for Chemistry --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, founded in 1739, is an independent organisation whose overall objective is to promote the sciences and strengthen their influence in society. The Academy takes special responsibility for the natural sciences and mathematics, but endeavours to promote the exchange of ideas between various disciplines. Nobel Prize(r) is a registered trademark of the Nobel Foundation. To cite this section MLA style: Press release: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2021. Wed. 6 Oct 2021. 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