The 2021 chemistry Nobel laureates and asymmetric organocatalysis

The 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded jointly to Benjamin List and David MacMillan “for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis.” This choice was remarkable for a number of reasons. It singled out a very “chemical” discovery, whereas in recent years, the chemistry prizes often went for discoveries in biochemistry, and it singled out two relatively young men. The concept of asymmetric organocatalysis has been around since the late 1920s, and in the early 1970s, even proline was recognized as capable of playing the role of an enzyme. Nonetheless, asymmetric organocatalysis has found major applications since about the year 2000 due to the discoveries and activities of the new laureates and their colleagues.