Japan's Negishi, Suzuki share Nobel Prize in chemistry with American+

STOCKHOLM, Oct. 6 Kyodo - Japan's Eiichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki, and American Richard Heck have won the 2010 Nobel Prize in chemistry for their work on reactions to create complex organic compounds, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said Wednesday.

The tool ''has vastly improved the possibilities for chemists to create
sophisticated chemicals, for example carbon-based molecules as complex as those
created by nature itself,'' according to the academy.
Negishi, 75, is a professor at Purdue University in the United States and
Suzuki, 80, is a professor emeritus at Hokkaido University.
They are the first Japanese Nobel Prize winners since four Japanese were
honored in 2008, including chemistry prize winner Osamu Shimomura, and bring
the total number of Japanese who have earned Nobel Prizes to 18. The two are
the sixth and seventh Japanese Nobel winners in chemistry.
The academy described palladium-catalyzed cross coupling as a ''precise and
efficient tool'' and said it is used in research worldwide as well as in the
commercial production of pharmaceuticals and molecules used in the electronics
industry.
''In the Heck reaction, Negishi reaction and Suzuki reaction, carbon atoms meet
on a palladium atom, whereupon their proximity to one another kick-starts the
chemical reaction,'' the academy said.
During a telephone press conference held by the academy, Negishi said he is
''extremely happy'' and plans to use the prize money for future research
activities.
Negishi added that he was sleeping when the academy informed him of the award
by phone early Wednesday morning U.S. Eastern Standard Time.
The chemical tool is applicable to an extremely wide variety of medicines and
equipment, he added.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan congratulated Suzuki by telephone and quoted the
scientist as saying, ''I was lucky.''
Suzuki said that as Japan's science and technology are among the most advanced
in the world, the government should create an environment for ''better use of
them,'' according to Kan.
Suzuki later told reporters that colleagues and students should be equally
credited with the achievement.
''I'm very pleased that I've received such an honor but I just happen to be the
one who got it,'' Suzuki said. ''It's the result of hard work and sincere
efforts by a number of colleagues and students at Hokkaido University.''
''Researchers at universities want to pursue research that can contribute to
society, but it's not always the case. It's very fortunate that we did it,'' he
said.
Negishi was born in China and joined Teijin Ltd. after graduating from the
University of Tokyo in 1958. He received a Ph.D. from the University of
Pennsylvania in 1963.
A native of Hokkaido Prefecture, Suzuki received a Ph.D. from Hokkaido
University and has engaged in research at Purdue University for about two
years.
Heck of the University of Delaware was born in Massachusetts in 1931 and
received a Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1954.
The award presentation ceremony will be held in Stockholm on Dec. 10 and the
three winners will share the 10 million kronor ($1.5 million) award.
==Kyodo