Kenso Soai

Japanese organic chemist

Japanese Hiroshima, Japan

Quick Info

ProfessionJapanese organic chemist
NationalityJapanese
Date of Birth1950
BirthplaceHiroshima, Japan

Latest News about Kenso Soai

07/10/2026

Kenso Soai was awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with Henri B. Kagan for discoveries related to non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. The award recognized work that helped explain how homochirality can emerge spontaneously in chemical systems.

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Bio/Wiki

SummaryKenso Soai is a Japanese organic chemist known for discovering asymmetric autocatalysis, now called the Soai reaction.

Educational Qualification(s)

PhDUniversity of Tokyo (1979)

Career

Current PositionProfessor Emeritus, Tokyo University of Science
Notable WorkDiscovery of asymmetric autocatalysis (Soai reaction)
Academic BackgroundPostdoctoral research associate with Ernest L. Eliel at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; joined Tokyo University of Science in 1981; became full professor in 1991.

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Born in Hiroshima in 1950.
2. Completed his doctorate under Teruaki Mukaiyama.
3. His 1995 discovery showed significant amplification of enantiomeric excess in asymmetric autocatalysis.
4. His work is associated with research on origin of homochirality and asymmetric synthesis.
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