Nobel Prize in Chemistry

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is given each year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists who have made important discoveries in the field of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes created by Alfred Nobel in 1895. The other prizes are for physics, literature, peace, and physiology or medicine. These awards are given to people who have done amazing work in these areas.

The first Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded in 1901 to Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff from the Netherlands. He received it for discovering the laws of chemical dynamics and osmotic pressure in solutions. Since then, the prize has been given to 198 different people. Two winners, Frederick Sanger and K. Barry Sharpless, each won the prize twice! In 2025, the prize was awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for creating something called metal–organic frameworks.

Only eight women have ever won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. They are Marie Curie, her daughter Irène Joliot-Curie, Dorothy Hodgkin, Ada Yonath, Frances Arnold, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Jennifer Doudna, and Carolyn R. Bertozzi. Marie Curie is special because she also won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903, making her the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different sciences.

Background

Alfred Nobel, in his last will written in 1895, decided to use most of his money to create prizes for people who do great work for humanity in physics, chemistry, peace, physiology or medicine, and literature. He left 94% of his assets, about 31 million Swedish kronor, to start these prizes. After some discussion, his will was approved in 1897. The Nobel Foundation was created to manage the money and organize the prizes. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences was chosen to give out the Nobel Prize in Chemistry each year.

Award ceremony

Main article: Nobel Prize

The winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry are usually announced in October each year. The actual award takes place at a special ceremony on December 10, the day Alfred Nobel died. After the ceremony, there is a celebration called the Nobel Banquet in Stockholm City Hall.

Nomination and selection

The Nobel Laureates in chemistry are chosen by a committee of five members elected by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Thousands of people are asked to suggest possible winners, but these names are kept secret. Experts help narrow down the list until only a few candidates remain. This careful process helps make the prize very important.

The committee makes sure the work being honored has had a lasting impact, often waiting many years before giving the award. Up to three people can win the prize each year for their important contributions to chemistry.

Prizes

A Chemistry Nobel Prize laureate receives a gold medal, a special diploma with their name and achievement, and a cash prize. The amount of the cash prize changes each year depending on how much money is available.

Main article: Nobel Prize medal § Physics and Chemistry

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry medal looks the same as the Nobel Prize in Physics medal. It shows the Goddess of Nature as Isis holding a cornucopia, with the Genius of Science holding a veil. The medal was designed by Erik Lindberg and made in Eskilstuna. Each medal has the winner’s name on it and words that mean it is good to improve life through discoveries. The diploma given to each winner is unique and has a picture and text about why they won.

Nobel laureates in chemistry

For a more comprehensive list, see List of Nobel laureates in Chemistry.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is given each year to scientists who have made important discoveries in the field of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes created by Alfred Nobel’s will in 1895. The prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to honor outstanding contributions to chemistry.

Scope of award

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry has sometimes been criticized because it has not always gone to people who work in traditional chemistry fields. From 2012 backward, some chemistry prizes were given for work in areas like biochemistry or molecular biology, rather than chemistry itself.

Studies have shown that science Nobel Prizes often focus on a few popular subjects. For chemistry, most awards have gone to researchers in molecular chemistry. This pattern shows how the prizes sometimes highlight certain areas more than others.