Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1979

Herbert C. Brown

Photo: Purdue University. Nobel Foundation archive

Prize share: 1/2

Georg Wittig

Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.

Prize share: 1/2

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1979 was awarded jointly to Herbert C. Brown and Georg Wittig "for their development of the use of boron- and phosphorus-containing compounds, respectively, into important reagents in organic synthesis"

To cite this section
MLA style: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1979. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach 2025. Fri. 5 Dec 2025. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1979/summary/>

Go to the top of the page

Nobel Prizes and laureates

Nobel Prizes 2025

Six prizes were awarded for achievements that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. The 14 laureates' work and discoveries range from quantum tunnelling to promoting democratic rights.

See them all presented here.

Illustration

Explore prizes and laureates

Look for popular awards and laureates in different fields, and discover the history of the Nobel Prize.