NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Receipt of the American Chemical Society's "Citation for Chemical Breakthrough" Award: An Asian First

The research papers of University Professor Ryoji Noyori, the 2001 Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry, et al, on asymmetric catalytic reaction (Research Institutions: Nagoya University, Institute for Molecular Science, Takasago International Corporation) and the late Professor Kenichi Fukui, who in 1987 became Asia's first recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, on frontier orbital theory (Research Institution: Kyoto University), were selected by the American Chemical Society for the 2021 "Citations for Chemical Breakthrough" Awards. This exceedingly distinguished Award was established by the American Chemical Society in 2006 to celebrate chemistry research publications, selected from a vast number of papers published in the natural sciences from the latter half of the eighteenth century to this day, that have significantly contributed to human development. Plaques are presented to institutions at which these breakthroughs occurred to commemorate the historical achievement.

 

Until now, approximately eighty revolutionary research papers have been selected, including Avogadro's contribution to the "Molecular Theory" (1811), Pasteur's work on the discovery of an optically pure organic substance (1848), Mendeleev's formulation of the periodic law of elements (1869), the Curies' publication on the discovery of radioactive elements (1898), and the work of Watson and Crick on the structure model of the DNA double helix (1953), with these scientists' research institutions being honored as the sites of epoch-making research. 2021 marks the first occasion that the Award has been conferred upon Asian research institutions.

 

On January 20, 2022, an online press conference was held jointly with the Institute for Molecular Science, Takasago International Corporation, and Kyoto University. Here, each institution's representative explained the background and content of the breakthrough publication, and gave voice to the joy of receiving the Award. University Professor Ryoji Noyori expressed his hope that, "in line with the spirit of the award, Nagoya University would continue to strive to develop science from a long-term perspective, and cultivate aspiring young people", thus offering words of encouragement to young researchers.

 

The plaque presented by the American Chemical Society is due to be exhibited at Higashiyama Campus, Nagoya University.

 

 

The Plaque

 

 

Related Website: American Chemical Society's website