The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2001

William S. Knowles

Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.

Prize share: 1/4

Ryoji Noyori

Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.

Prize share: 1/4

K. Barry Sharpless

Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.

Prize share: 1/2

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2001 was divided, one half jointly to William S. Knowles and Ryoji Noyori "for their work on chirally catalysed hydrogenation reactions" and the other half to K. Barry Sharpless "for his work on chirally catalysed oxidation reactions."

To cite this section
MLA style: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2001. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2021. Tue. 27 Jul 2021. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2001/summary/>

Back to top Back To Top Takes users back to the top of the page

Learn more

Nobel Prizes 2020

Twelve laureates were awarded a Nobel Prize in 2020, for achievements that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.

Their work and discoveries range from the formation of black holes and genetic scissors to efforts to combat hunger and develop new auction formats.

See them all presented here.
Nobel Prizes 2020 graphics

Explore prizes and laureates

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