1990
E.J. Corey (1928-)
Corey, an American chemist, created a unique organic synthesis theory-inverse Synthetic analysis theory makes organic synthesis plans systematic and logical. Based on this theory, he compiled the first computer-aided organic synthesis route design program and won the award in 1990.
In the 1960s, Corey created a unique organic synthesis method - retrosynthesis analysis method, which added new content to the realization of organic synthesis theory. Different from the previous practice of chemists, the retrosynthetic analysis method starts from small molecules and tries again and again what kind of molecules they form - the structure of the target molecule, and analyzes which chemical bonds can be broken, thereby disassembling complex macromolecules. into smaller parts, and these small parts usually already have or are easily obtained material structures. It is very easy to use these simple structural materials as raw materials to synthesize complex organic compounds. His research has successfully made the synthesis of plastics, artificial fibers, pigments, dyes, pesticides, and drugs simple and easy, and the chemical synthesis steps can be designed and controlled by computers.
He himself also used retrosynthetic analysis to synthesize 100 important natural substances in a test tube. Before this, people thought that natural substances could not be synthesized artificially. Professor Corey also synthesized physiologically active substances in the human body that affect blood coagulation and immune system function. The research results have enabled people to extend their lifespan and enjoy a higher level of life.
1991
R.Ernst (1933-)
Ernst, a Swiss scientist, invented Fourier transform nuclear magnetism** He won the award for vibration spectroscopy and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance technology. After his careful improvement, NMR technology became a basic and necessary tool in chemistry, and he also expanded the application of research results to other disciplines.
In 1966, he collaborated with American colleagues and discovered that using short, intense pulses to replace the slow-scanning radio waves used in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy could significantly improve the sensitivity of nuclear magnetic resonance technology. His discovery enabled the technique to be used to analyze larger numbers of nuclei and smaller amounts of matter. His second important contribution to the field of NMR spectroscopy was a method that could analyze nuclei at high resolution." A technique for studying very large molecules in two dimensions. Using his carefully improved techniques, scientists are able to determine the three-dimensional structure of organic and inorganic compounds, as well as biological macromolecules such as proteins, study the interactions between biological molecules and other substances, such as metal ions, water and drugs, and identify chemical species. , study the rate of chemical reactions.
1992
R.Marcus (1923-)
Marcus, a Canadian-American scientist who used simple mathematical methods to He expressed how the energy of the molecular system is affected when electrons are transferred between molecules. His research results laid the foundation for the theory of electron transfer processes, for which he won the 1992 Nobel Prize.
It took more than 20 years between the discovery of this theory and the award. His theory is practical. It can relieve corrosion phenomena, explain photosynthesis of plants, and can also explain the cold light emitted by fireflies. Now if children ask the question "Why do fireflies glow?", it will be easier to answer.
1993
M. Smith (1932-2000)
Canadian scientist Smith invented the "oligonucleotide" that reorganizes DNA. The "site-directed mutagenesis" method, that is, the "directed mutagenesis" of targeted genes, won the Nobel Prize in 1993. This technology can change the genetic information in genetic material and is the most important technology in bioengineering.
This method first splices the normal gene and changes it into a single-stranded form of viral DNA. Then other small fragments of the gene can be synthesized in the laboratory. In addition to the mutated gene, artificial synthesis The gene fragments and the corresponding parts of the normal gene are arranged in rows, like the two sides of a zipper, and are all worn on the virus.
The rest of the second DNA strand can be made completely to form a double helix. When a virus with this hybrid DNA infects a bacterium, the regenerated protein is mutable, but it can be selected and tested. This technology can change the organism. genes, especially in cereals, to improve their agronomic characteristics.
Using Smith's technology, the amino acid residues (orange-red) of the enzyme in the detergent can be changed to improve the stability of the enzyme.
K.B. Mullis (1944-)
American scientist K.B. Mullis invented the "polymerase chain reaction (PCR)" that efficiently copies DNA fragments ” method, which won the award in 1993. This technology can be used to produce large amounts of DNA molecules from extremely small samples, giving genetic engineering a new tool.
In 1985, Mullis invented the "polymerase chain reaction" technology. Since the advent of this technology, many experts can copy a rare DNA sample into millions for human testing. HIV in cells can be used to diagnose genetic defects. Parts of blood and hair can be collected from crime scenes for fingerprint identification. This technology can also produce a large number of DNA molecules from minerals. The method is simple and the operation is flexible.
The whole process is to pour the required compound substances into the test tube, and continue to heat and cool it through multiple cycles. During the reaction, two more ingredients are added. One is a pair of synthetic short DNA fragments, which are attached to both ends of the desired gene as "primers"; the second ingredient is an enzyme. When the test tube is heated, the double helix of the DNA separates. For two strands, "information" appears on each strand. When the temperature is cooled, the "primer" can automatically find the complementary proteins of their DNA samples and combine them. This technology can be said to be revolutionary genetic engineering.
Scientists have successfully used PCR to amplify the genetic material of an insect buried in amber 20 million years ago.
1994
G.A.Olah (1927-)
Eulerian, Hungarian-American, for his discovery of stabilizing carbocations Methods for research in carbocation chemistry. The research scope is organic chemistry, and his achievements in hydrocarbons are particularly outstanding. As early as the 1960s, he published a large number of research reports and was well-known in the international scientific community. He was an important figure in the field of chemistry. His basic research results made a significant contribution to oil refining technology. This result completely changed the understanding of carbocations. The research method of this extremely unstable hydrocarbon has opened a new page in people's understanding of the structure of cations. More importantly, his discovery can be widely used in improving the efficiency of oil refining, producing unleaded gasoline, and improving plastic products. Various industries such as quality and research and manufacturing of new drugs play an important role in improving people's lives.
1995
F.S. Rowland (1927-)
Crutzen, Molina, and Rowland were the first to study and explain the formation of ozone in the atmosphere , the process and mechanism of decomposition, pointing out that: the ozone layer is extremely sensitive to certain compounds. Freon used in air conditioners and refrigerators, and nitrogen oxides contained in jet aircraft and car exhaust will cause the ozone layer hole to expand. They won the award in 1995 .
Roland, an American chemist, discovered that artificial chlorofluorocarbon propellants would accelerate the decomposition of the ozone layer and destroy the ozone layer. This attracted the attention of the United Nations and banned the production of ozone-depleting gases worldwide.
M. Molina (1943-)
Krutzen, Molina, and Roland were the first to study and explain the process and mechanism of the formation and decomposition of ozone in the atmosphere. , pointed out that: The ozone layer is extremely sensitive to certain compounds. Freon used in air conditioners and refrigerators, and nitrogen oxides contained in jet aircraft and car exhaust will cause the ozone layer hole to expand. They won the award in 1995.
The ozone layer is located in the stratosphere of the earth's atmosphere. It can absorb most of the sun's ultraviolet rays and protect living things on the earth from damage. It was they who elucidated the chemical mechanism leading to the depletion of the ozone layer and found out how human activities Prompted by these studies, the protection of the ozone layer has become a major environmental issue of concern to the world. In 1987, the Montreal Protocol was signed, which stipulated that the effects of ozone-depleting substances such as chlorine, fluorine, and hydrocarbons would be gradually banned worldwide.
Molina, an American chemist, won the 1995 Nobel Prize for his research on the decomposition of the ozone layer during the 1970s. Molina and Rowland discovered that some industrially produced gases deplete the ozone layer, a discovery that led to an international movement in the late 20th century to limit the widespread use of chlorofluorocarbon gases. Through experiments on air pollution, he discovered that after chlorofluorocarbon gases rise to the stratosphere, ultraviolet radiation decomposes them into chlorine, fluorine and carbon elements. At this point, each chlorine atom can destroy nearly 100,000 ozone molecules before becoming inactive, Molina is the lead author of the theory describing this. The scientists' findings sparked a widespread debate. Their theory was confirmed in the mid-1980s when a so-called ozone hole - an area where the ozone layer has been depleted - was discovered over the Antarctic region.
P.Crutzen (1933-)
P.Crutzen, Molina, and Roland were the first to study and explain the process and mechanism of the formation and decomposition of ozone in the atmosphere. , pointed out that: The ozone layer is extremely sensitive to certain compounds. Freon used in air conditioners and refrigerators, and nitrogen oxides contained in jet aircraft and car exhaust will cause the ozone layer hole to expand. They won the award in 1995.
The ozone layer is located in the stratosphere of the earth's atmosphere. It can absorb most of the sun's ultraviolet rays and protect living things on the earth from damage. It was they who elucidated the chemical mechanism leading to the depletion of the ozone layer and found out how human activities Promoted by these studies, the protection of the ozone layer has become a major environmental issue of concern to the world. In 1987, the Montreal Protocol was signed, which stipulated the gradual ban on the use of ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons worldwide.
Krutzen, a Dutchman, won the prize for demonstrating that nitrogen oxides accelerate the breakdown of ozone in the stratosphere that protects the Earth from ultraviolet radiation from the sun, although his findings were not initially widely publicized. Accepted, but opened the way for later atmospheric research by other chemists.
1996
H.W. Kroto (1939-)
H.W. Kroto) and R.E. Smalley, Ke Together with R.F. Carl, he won the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of the third form of carbon - C60 (also known as "fullerene" and "buckyball").
R.E. Smalley (1943-)
R.E. Smalley, together with R.F. Carl and H.W. Kroto, was responsible for the discovery of the third type of carbon element. Existing form - C60 (also known as "fullerene" and "buckyball"), and won the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
R.F. Carl (1933-)
R.F. Carl, an American, R.E. Smalley, an American, and H.W. Kroto, an Englishman, are famous for their discovery of the third form of carbon—C60 (also known as "fullerene"). ""Buckyball") and won the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
In 1967, architect R. Buckminster Fuller designed a spherical building for the Montreal World's Fair. , this building 18 years later provided an inspiration for the structure of the carbon family. Fuller used hexagons and a handful of pentagons to create "curved" surfaces.
The winners hypothesized that a cluster of 60 carbon atoms called "C60" would consist of 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons, with a carbon atom at each corner, giving the ball the shape of a football. They call such new carbon spheres C60 "buckminsterfullerene", and in spoken English these carbon spheres are called "buckyballs".
Kluto's special interest in carbon-rich red giant stars led to the discovery of fullerenes. For years he had had an idea: Long chains of carbon molecules could be formed near red giant stars. Cole suggested working with Smalley and using Smalley's equipment to evaporate the material with a laser beam and analyze it.
After a week of intense work in Autumn 1985, Cole, Kruto and Smalley unexpectedly discovered that the carbon element can also exist in the shape of a ball very stably. They call these new carbon spheres fullerenes. These spheres are formed when graphite evaporates in an inert gas, and they typically contain 60 or 70 carbon atoms. Around these balls, a new kind of carbon chemistry developed. Chemists can embed metals and rare inert gases in carbon spheres, use them to make new superconducting materials, and create new organic compounds or new polymer materials. The discovery of fullerenes shows how unexpected and fascinating results can be created by the collaboration of scientists with different experiences and research goals.
Cole, Kruto and Smalley had long thought it would be possible to put metal atoms into fullerene cages. This completely changes the properties of the metal. The first successful experiment involved embedding the rare earth metal lanthanum into a fullerene cage.
After slight improvements in the preparation method of fullerene, it is now possible to create the world's smallest tubes - carbon nanotubes - from pure carbon. The diameter of this tube is very small, about 1 nanometer. The tube ends can be sealed. Due to its unique electrical and mechanical properties, it will be used in the electronics industry.
In the six years since fullerenes became available to scientists, more than 1,000 new compounds have been synthesized and their chemical, optical, electrical, mechanical or biological properties have been determined. The production costs of fullerenes are still too high, thus limiting their applications.
Today there are more than a hundred patents related to fullerenes, but still need to be explored to make these exciting fullerenes available for large-scale industrial applications.
1997
Jens C. Skou (1918-)
The 1997 Chemistry Prize was awarded to Paul Boyer (USA) ), John Walker (UK), and Ince Skow (Denmark), for their breakthroughs in the research of adenotriphosphate, the energy currency of life.
Ince Scow was the first to describe the ion pump - an enzyme that drives the directional transport of ions across the cell membrane. This is a basic mechanism in all living cells. Since then, experiments have demonstrated the existence of several similar ion pumps in cells. He discovered sodium, potassium-adephosphatase, an enzyme that maintains the balance of sodium and potassium ions in cells. The intracellular sodium ion concentration is lower than that in the surrounding body fluid, while the potassium ion concentration is higher than that in the surrounding body fluid. Sodium and potassium-adenophosphatase and other ion pumps must be constantly working in our bodies. If they stop working, our cells will swell or even burst, and we will immediately lose consciousness. Driving ion pumps requires a lot of energy—about one-third of the adenotriphosphate produced by the body is used for ion pump activity.
John E. Walker (1941-)
John E. Walker and two other scientists won the 1997 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. John Walker crystallized adenotriphosphate in order to study its structural details. He confirmed that Boyer's formulation of how adenotriphosphate is synthesized, a "molecular machine", was correct.
In 1981, John Walker determined the protein gene (DNA) encoding adenotriphosphate synthase.
Panl D. Boyer (1918-)
The 1997 Chemistry Prize was awarded to three scientists, Paul Boyer (USA), John Walker (UK), and Ince Skow (Denmark), for their breakthroughs in the research of adenotriphosphate, the energy currency of life. . Paul Boyer and John Walker elucidated how adenotriphosphate synthetase makes adenotriphosphate. Adenotriphosphate synthetase can be found in chloroplast membranes, mitochondrial membranes, and bacterial plasma membranes. The difference in hydrogen ion concentration on both sides of the membrane drives adenotriphosphate synthase to synthesize adenotriphosphate.
Paul Boyer used chemical methods to propose the functional mechanism of adenotriphosphate synthase. Adenotriphosphate synthase is like a cylinder composed of alternating α subunits and β subunits. There is also an asymmetric gamma subunit in the middle of the cylinder. When the γ subunit rotates (100 revolutions per second), it causes changes in the structure of the β subunit. Paul Boyer calls these different structures open structure, loose structure and tight structure.
1998
John A. Pople (1925-)
John A. Pople, American , he proposed the wave function method and won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He developed computational methods in chemistry based on different descriptions of the wave function in the Schrodinger equation. He created a theoretical model chemistry in which the correct resolution of quantum chemical equations was systematically facilitated with a series of increasingly precise approximations, allowing control of the accuracy of the calculations. These techniques were made available to researchers through the Gaussian computer program. Today this program is used for quantum chemical calculations in all fields of chemistry.
Walter Kohn (1923-)
Walter Kohn, American, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his proposal of density function theory award.
As early as 1964-1965, Walter Cohen proposed that the energy of a quantum mechanical system is determined only by its electron density. This quantity is much easier to handle than the complex wave function in the Schr?dinger equation. He also provided a method to establish equations from which the electron density and energy of the system can be obtained. This method is called density functional theory and has been widely used in chemistry. Because the method is simple and can be applied to larger of molecules.
1999
Ahmed Zewier (1946-)
Ahmed Zewier was born on February 26, 1946 in Egypt. He later obtained bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering from the University of Alexandria in the United States, and a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. He has taught at Caltech since 1976. In 1990, he became chairman of the Department of Chemistry at Caltech. He is currently a member of several scientific institutions including the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Philosophy, the Academy of the Third World, and the European Academy of Arts, Sciences, and Anthropology.
In 1998, Egypt also issued a stamp with his portrait in recognition of his scientific achievements.
The 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to the Egyptian-born scientist Ahmed H. Zewail for his use of ultrashort laser flash imaging technology to observe the atoms in molecules. How movement occurs in chemical reactions helps people understand and anticipate important chemical reactions, bringing a revolution to the entire chemistry and related sciences.
Scientists predicted the pattern of chemical reactions as early as the 1930s, but it was no more than a dream to demonstrate it based on the technical conditions at the time. In the late 1980s, Professor Xavier conducted a series of experiments. He used what may be the fastest laser flash camera in the world to capture the process of breaking and forming chemical bonds of atoms undergoing chemical reactions in an instant of one trillionth of a second. .
The camera uses laser light that flashes at speeds of tens of trillionths of a second to capture an image of an atomic oscillation during a reaction. The kind of physical chemistry he founded is called femtosecond chemistry. Femtosecond is a femtosecond (one quadrillionth of a second). That is, a high-speed camera is used to photograph molecules during chemical reactions and record their reaction state. Image below to study chemical reactions. People cannot see the chemical reaction process of atoms and molecules, but now they can study the movement process of individual atoms through the femtosecond chemistry technology pioneered by Professor Xavier in the late 1980s.
Xavier’s experiment used ultrashort laser technology, namely femtosecond optics. Just like a TV show watching the highlights of a football match in slow motion, his research results allow people to observe the transformation state of atoms and molecules in the process of chemical reactions through "slow motion", fundamentally changing our understanding of the chemical reaction process. understanding. Xavier revolutionized chemistry and related sciences by enabling humans to study and predict important chemical reactions through his "pioneer research on basic chemical reactions."
2000
Allen J. Haig (1936-)
Allen J. Haig, American citizen, 64 years old, born in 1936 In Sioux City, Iowa. He is currently the director of the Institute of Solid Polymers and Organics at the University of California and a professor of physics.
Reason for the award: He is a pioneer in the research field of semiconductor polymers and metal polymers. He is currently focusing on semiconductor polymers that can be used as luminescent materials, including photoluminescence, light-emitting diodes, luminescent electrochemical cells, and lasers. etc. Once these products are successfully developed, they will be widely used in many fields such as high-brightness color LCD displays.
Alan-G-Mark Diarmid (1929-)
Alan-G-Mark Diarmid, from the University of Pennsylvania, USA, 71 years old, he was born In New Zealand, he studied at the University of New Zealand, the University of Wisconsin in the United States, and the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. In 1955, he began teaching at the University of Pennsylvania. He was one of the first scientists to research and develop conductive plastics.
Reason for the award: Since 1973, he has been researching technology that can make polymer materials conduct electricity like metal, and finally developed organic polymer conductor technology. The invention of this technology is of great significance to enable physical research and chemical research, and its application prospects are very broad.
He has published more than 600 academic papers and holds 20 patented technologies.
Shirakawa Hideki (1936-)
Shirakawa Hideki is 64 years old and has retired. He is now an honorary professor at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. Shirakawa graduated from the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1961, majoring in chemistry. He worked as a teaching assistant at the Institute of Resource Chemistry at the school. In 1976, he went to study at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. After returning to China in 1979, he worked as an associate professor at the University of Tsukuba, and was promoted to professor in 1982. In 1983, his research paper "Research on Polyacetylene" won the Japan Polymer Society Award. He also wrote books such as "Introduction to Functional Materials" and "Frontier Areas of Material Engineering".
Reason for the award: Hideki Shirakawa has made notable contributions to the discovery and development of conductive polymers. This polymer has been widely used in industrial production. For this he shared the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with two other American colleagues.
2001
William Knowles (1917-)
The 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to American scientist William Knowles, Japanese Scientist Ryoharu Noyori and American scientist Barry Sharpless, in recognition of their achievements in asymmetric synthesis. The discoveries of the three chemistry prize winners have created a new research field for the synthesis of molecules and substances with new properties. . Today, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and heart disease drugs are all manufactured based on their research results.
The press release of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences stated that the structures of many compounds are enantiotropic, just like human left and right hands, which is called chirality. This characteristic also exists in medicines. In some medicines, only part of the ingredients has therapeutic effect, while the other part has no medicinal effect or even has toxic side effects. These drugs are racemates, and their left- and right-handed substances are produced in the same molecular structure. In Europe, the tragedy of "Thalidomide" occurred in which pregnant women took unsplit racemic drugs as analgesics or cough medicines, which resulted in a large number of embryonic malformations, making people realize the importance of splitting racemic drugs. . The 2001 Chemistry Prize winner made important contributions in this regard. They use an enantiomeric reagent or catalyst to remove the ineffective part of the molecule and use only the effective part, just like separating the left and right hands of a person, separating the left-handed and right-handed forms, and then use the effective enantiomers as For new drugs, this is called asymmetric synthesis.
Knowles' contribution was the discovery in 1968 that transition metals could be used to hydrogenate chiral molecules to obtain chiral molecules with the specific mirror image morphology required. His research results were quickly transformed into industrial products. For example, the drug L-DOPA for treating Parkinson's disease was manufactured based on Knowles' research results.
In 1968, Knowles discovered a new method for enantiocatalytic hydrogenation using transition metals, and finally obtained effective enantiomers. His research was quickly applied to the production of a drug to treat Parkinson's disease. Later, Noyori further developed enantiotropic hydrogenation catalysts. Sharpless was awarded the prize for his discovery of another catalytic method - oxidation catalysis. Their discovery opened up a new field of molecular synthesis and is of great significance to both academic research and the development of new drugs. Its results have been applied to the development of cardiovascular drugs, antibiotics, hormones, anti-cancer drugs and central nervous system drugs. Nowadays, the efficacy of chiral drugs is several times or even dozens of times that of the original drugs. The introduction of biotransformation in synthesis has become a key technology in the pharmaceutical industry.
Knowles and Noyori shared half of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Sharpless, now a professor of chemistry at Scripps Research, will receive the other half of the award.
R.Noyori (1938-)
The 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to American scientist William Knowles, Japanese scientist R.Noyori and American scientist Barry Sharpley Si, in recognition of their achievements in asymmetric synthesis.
The press release of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences stated that the structures of many compounds are enantiotropic, just like human left and right hands. This is called chirality. This characteristic also exists in medicines. In some medicines, only part of the ingredients has therapeutic effect, while the other part has no medicinal effect or even has toxic side effects. These drugs are racemates, and their left- and right-handed substances are produced in the same molecular structure. In Europe, the tragedy of "Thalidomide" occurred in which pregnant women took unsplit racemic drugs as analgesics or cough medicines, which resulted in a large number of embryonic malformations, making people realize the importance of splitting racemic drugs. . The 2001 Chemistry Prize winner made important contributions in this regard. They use an enantiomeric reagent or catalyst to remove the ineffective part of the molecule and use only the effective part, just like separating the left and right hands of a person, separating the left-handed and right-handed forms, and then use the effective enantiomers as For new drugs, this is called asymmetric synthesis.
In 1968, Knowles discovered a new method for enantiocatalytic hydrogenation using transition metals, and finally obtained effective enantiomers. His research was quickly applied to the production of a drug to treat Parkinson's disease. Later, Noyori further developed enantiohydrogen
2002
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on October 9, 2002 that the 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry would be awarded to American scientists John Finn, Japanese scientist Koichi Tanaka and Swiss scientist Kurt Wittrich in recognition of their contributions to the field of biological macromolecule research.
The 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognized two achievements respectively. One was John Finn and Koichi Tanaka's "invention of methods for the identification and structural analysis of biological macromolecules" and "the invention of "Mass spectrometry analysis of biological macromolecules", the two of them will share half of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry; the other is that Swiss scientist Kurt Wittrich "invented the use of nuclear magnetic resonance technology" "Method for determining the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules in solution", he will receive the other half of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
2003
The 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to American scientists Peter Agre and Roderick MacKinnon for their discovery of cell membrane water channels and their discovery of ion channels respectively. Pioneering contributions to structural and mechanistic studies. The cell membrane channels they studied were the "city gates" that people had previously speculated.
2004
The 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Israeli scientists Aaron Ciechanover, Avram Hershko and American scientist Irving Ross in recognition of They discovered ubiquitin-regulated protein degradation. In fact, their result was the discovery of an important mechanism of protein "death".
2005
The three winners are Yves Chauvin of the French Petroleum Institute, Robert Grubb of the California Institute of Technology, and Richard Richard of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. De Schrock. The reason for their award is for their contributions to the study of olefin metathesis reactions in organic chemistry. Olefin metathesis reactions are widely used in the production of materials such as pharmaceuticals and advanced plastics, resulting in more efficient production, more stable products, and less hazardous waste. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said this is an example of important basic science benefiting people, society and the environment.
2006
American scientist Roger Kornberg won the 2006 Nobel Prize in Chemistry alone for his contribution to the research field of "Molecular Basis of Eukaryotic Transcription". The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said in a statement that Kornberg revealed how cells in eukaryotes use information stored in genes to produce proteins, and understanding this has a "fundamental" role in medicine because humans have a variety of Diseases such as cancer and heart disease are associated with disturbances in this process.
2007
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to German scientist Gerhard Ettel in recognition of his contribution to the study of "Solid Surface Chemical Processes". The prize amount will reach 10 million Swedish krona (approximately US$1.54 million).
2008
Three American scientists, Osamu Shimomura of Woods Hole Marine Biology Laboratory, Martin Chalfie of Columbia University and Roger Y of University of California, San Diego . Tsien (Qian Yongjian, Qian Xuesen’s cousin) received this award for his discovery and development of green fluorescent protein (GFP).
Osamu Shimomura was born in Kyoto, Japan, in 1928. He received a PhD in organic chemistry from Nagoya University, Japan, in 1960. He is an emeritus professor at Woods Hole Marine Biology Laboratory (MBL) and Boston University School of Medicine in the United States. Martin Chalfie was born in 1947 and grew up in Chicago, USA. He received a PhD in neurobiology from Harvard University in 1977 and has been a professor of biology at Columbia University in the USA since 1982. Roger Y. Tsien was born in New York, USA, in 1952. He received a PhD in Physiology from the University of Cambridge, UK, in 1977, and has been a professor at the University of California, San Diego, USA since 1989.