Soai reaction is an asymmetric autocatalytic reaction, which was developed by Japanese chemist Kenso Soai. His research demonstrated how a small initial imbalance between two mirror-image molecules can be amplified, helping chemists understand how one molecular form can become dominant.
Soai and French chemist Henri B. Kagan were awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for "for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis."
