The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry will be announced in Stockholm on October 7 at 11:45 a.m. Central European Summer Time at the earliest. The decision will be presented at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Among the scientists cited as possible winners of the award are David L. Alara, Ralph G. Nuzzo and Jacob Sagiv. They have been linked to the development of self-assembling monolayers, known by their English acronym SAMs. The chemical journal Chemical & Engineering News lists the three as top contenders, but the official selection has not yet been announced.
“Enough time has passed for the significant current or potential societal impact of these contributions to be recognized,“ says David Pendelbury, head of research analysis at Clarivate, as quoted by Chemical & Engineering News.What are self-assembling monolayers?
SAMs are ordered layers of molecules, one molecule thick, that attach to the surface of a solid material and change its properties. Such coatings can be designed to control how the surface interacts with liquids, light, electrical signals, or other molecules.
In 1980, Jacob Sagiv demonstrated that molecules with silane groups could covalently bond to surfaces covered with an oxide layer. Three years later, Ralph Nuzzo and David Alara showed that organic molecules with sulfur groups could be arranged in stable monolayers on gold. They also used optical methods to study the thickness, structure, and orientation of the molecules.
From fundamental chemistry to practical applications
The developments laid the foundations for an entire field in surface chemistry and nanotechnology. SAMs are used in the creation of biosensors and chemical sensors, in medical diagnostics, electronics, and the production of batteries and solar cells. The technology also finds application in the precise structuring of surfaces for micro- and nanodevices.
In 2022, Sagiv, Nuzzo, and Alara received the “Kavli“ Prize in Nanoscience together with George Whitesides. The award is for the creation of molecular coatings that allow control over the properties of surfaces.
The names of the official Nobel Prize nominees are kept secret for 50 years. Therefore, the mention of Alara, Nuzzo and Sagiv is based on scientific predictions and analysis, and not on a public list of nominations. The final decision will be announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Sources: cen.acs.org