2021
Asymmetric Organocatalysis
Benjamin List & David W.C. MacMillan
About This Prize
The 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Benjamin List and David W.C. MacMillan “for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis.” In 2000, they independently discovered that small organic molecules can catalyze asymmetric reactions with high enantioselectivity — previously thought to require metal catalysts or enzymes. List developed enamine catalysis using proline, while MacMillan introduced iminium ion catalysis with chiral amines. Organocatalysis has become a third pillar of catalysis alongside metals and enzymes, enabling greener and more accessible chiral synthesis.
Benjamin List
“Asymmetric Organocatalysis: Democratizing Catalysis For a Sustainable World”
David W.C. MacMillan
“Asymmetric Organocatalysis”
Key Concepts
- • Enamine Catalysis: Proline and derivatives form enamines with aldehydes/ketones, enabling asymmetric aldol and Mannich reactions
- • Iminium Ion Catalysis: Chiral amines activate α,β-unsaturated carbonyls via iminium intermediates for enantioselective conjugate additions
- • Third Pillar of Catalysis: Organocatalysis joins metal catalysis and biocatalysis as a fundamental approach to asymmetric synthesis
- • Green Chemistry: No toxic metals, mild conditions, air- and moisture-tolerant — ideal for pharmaceutical manufacturing