Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021 for organocatalysis, a technique for building molecules | The winners were scientists Benjamin List and David MacMillan

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded this Wednesday the German Benjamin List and the American David MacMillan for developing a new tool to build molecules that have made chemistry “greener” and improved pharmaceutical research.

The two scientists were awarded for “the development of asymmetric organocatalysis”announced the Nobel jury in Stockholm.

This technique “has developed at an astonishing speed. Using these reactions, researchers can now more efficiently construct anything from new pharmaceuticals to molecules capable of capturing light in solar cells,” added the academy.

Catalysts and asymmetric organocatalysis

The Academy jury explained that many areas of research and industry “depend on the ability of chemists to build molecules capable of forming elastic and durable materials, of storing energy in batteries or of inhibit the progression of diseases ”and that this requires catalysts (substances that control and accelerate chemical reactions, without being part of the final product).

For years, it was believed that there were only two types of catalysts: metals and enzymes. However, in 2000 List and MacMillan developed a third type: asymmetric organocatalysis (based on organic molecules). Johan Åqvist, chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, explained that “This concept of catalysis is as simple as it is ingenious.”

List (Frankfurt, Germany, 1968), questioned whether a complete enzyme was really needed to make a catalyst. To do this, he tested whether an amino acid called proline could catalyze a chemical reaction. “It worked wonderfully,” noted members of the Swedish academy.

MacMillan (Bellshill, United Kingdom, 1968) for his part worked with metallic catalysts easily destroyed by humidity. He wondered if he could develop a more durable type of catalyst using simple organic molecules. “One of them has proven to be excellent in asymmetric catalysis.”

Organic catalysts can be used to conduct a large number of chemical reactions. Thanks to these reactions, researchers can now build anything more efficiently, new pharmaceuticals with molecules capable of capturing light in solar cells.

The other candidates for the 2021 Nobel Prize in chemistry

Next-generation DNA sequencing, nanocrystals or the pioneers of messenger RNA vaccines against covid-19 were among the possible winners this year.

Last year, the prize was awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier from France and Jennifer Doudna from the United States for their research on “molecular scissors”, a “revolutionary” advance in the modification of human genes.

How the Nobel Prizes continue

The Nobel season continues Thursday with Literature and Friday with Peace. The Economy, the most recent creation, will be rewarded on Monday.