The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was established by Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist, engineer, and industrialist who invented dynamite and other explosives.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, based in Stockholm, Sweden, is responsible for awarding the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The selection process involves a committee of five members elected by the Academy, who sift through nominations from several thousand individuals before making their decision.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023 was awarded to Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus and Alexei Ekimov for the discovery and synthesis of Quantum dots (Nanotechnology)
Quantum dots now illuminate computer monitors and television screens based on QLED technology. They also add nuance to the light of some LED lamps, and biochemists and doctors use them to map biological tissue.
Read more: The Nobel Prize in Physics 2023 was awarded to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier
Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023
Today quantum dots are an important part of nanotechnology’s toolbox. The 2023 Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry have all been pioneers in the exploration of the nanoworld.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov “for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots.”
- In the early 1980s, this year’s chemistry laureates Louis Brus and Alexei Ekimov succeeded in creating– Independently of each other – quantum dots, which are nanoparticles so tiny that quantum effects determine their characteristics.
- In 1993, chemistry laureate Moungi Bawendi revolutionised the methods for manufacturing quantum dots, making their quality extremely high – a vital prerequisite for their use in today’s nanotechnology.
The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry rewards the discovery and development of quantum dots, nanoparticles so tiny that their size determines their properties.
These particles have unique properties and now spread their light from television screens and LED lamps. They catalyse chemical reactions and their clear light can illuminate tumour tissue for a surgeon.
Researchers have primarily utilised quantum dots to create coloured light. They believe that in the future quantum dots can contribute to flexible electronics, miniscule sensors, and slimmer solar cells and perhaps encrypted quantum communication.
The first Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded in 1901 to Jacobus Henricus van’t Hoff, of the Netherlands. Each recipient receives a medal, a diploma and a monetary award prize that has varied throughout the years.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded 115 times to 191 Nobel Prize laureates between 1901 and 2023. Frederick Sanger and Barry Sharpless have both been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry twice. This means that a total of 189 individuals have received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Read more: Who is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2023?
Posthumous Nobel Prizes in Chemistry
There have been no posthumous Nobel Prizes in Chemistry. From 1974, the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation stipulate that a Nobel Prize cannot be awarded posthumously, unless death has occurred after the announcement of the Nobel Prize. Before 1974, the Nobel Prize has only been awarded posthumously twice: to Dag Hammarskjöld (Nobel Peace Prize 1961) and Erik Axel Karlfeldt (Nobel Prize in Literature 1931).
Family Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry
The Curies were the most successful “Nobel Prize family”. The husband-and-wife partnership of Marie Curie and Pierre Curie were awarded the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics. Marie Curie herself was awarded the Nobel Prize a second time, receiving the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Marie and Pierre Curie’s eldest daughter, Irène Joliot-Curie, was awarded the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, together with her husband, Frédéric Joliot. The younger daughter, Ève Curie, worked for the UNICEF and was married to Henry R. Labouisse. He accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of UNICEF in 1965.
Youngest chemistry laureate
To date, the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry is Frédéric Joliot, who was 35 years old when he was awarded the chemistry prize in 1935, together with his wife, Irène Joliot-Curie.
Oldest chemistry laureate
The oldest Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry to date is John B. Goodenough, who was 97 years old when he was awarded the chemistry prize in 2019. He is also the oldest laureate to be awarded in all prize categories.
Read more: Who was the first Indian to receive a Nobel Prize?
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022
Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless “for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry”
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021
Benjamin List and David MacMillan “for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis”
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020
Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna “for the development of a method for genome editing”
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2019
John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino “for the development of lithium-ion batteries”
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2018
Frances H. Arnold “for the directed evolution of enzymes”
George P. Smith and Sir Gregory P. Winter “for the phage display of peptides and antibodies”
Practice MCQs
Q. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023 was awarded to which of the following?
[1] Moungi Bawendi
[2] Louis Brus
[3] Alexei Ekimov
[4] All of the above
Answer: 4
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023 was awarded to Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus and Alexei Ekimov for the discovery and synthesis of Quantum dots (Nanotechnology). The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov “for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots.”
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